We applaud you if you’re recycling paper documents in that over-sized blue bin because it is the right thing to do, doing so without shredding them first however is a fast way for your sensitive information to land into the wrong hands.
To fight this, Data Safe Group now offers secure document and hard drive destruction services to businesses likes yours looking to protect their information security – all documents and hard drives are destroyed and recycled, safely and securely using our tamper-proof containers.
Most businesses have more than paper documents to securely dispose of safely. Here’s what you need to know about what you should and should not shred.
What Can Go in Secure Shredding Containers
As a general rule of thumb, if you have sensitive work information printed on any sort of physical paper, it can be disposed of with our containers for safe disposal. This includes documents such as financial reports, employee records, client information, strategy development plans and any other documents containing private correspondence.
Most paper-based items are safe for Data Safe shred containers and don’t worry about separating items that have been stapled or clipped together, either; small metal items like paper clips can also be disposed of without error.
What Should Not Go in Secure Shredding Containers
Electronics, computer hard drives and office supplies cannot go into any ordinary shred containers. There are a variety of risks involved if these items make their way into the tamper-proof containers. As an example, many electronic items use lithium batteries, which are highly flammable can result in a fire if not disposed of properly and carefully.
A common culprit is the disposal of Lithium batteries which have become more prevalent in portable devices like laptops and smart phones. Many of these devices are used to store confidential work information. As a result, these electronic devices are encouraged to be destroyed using our larger tamper-proof shred containers in a well-intentioned effort to increase data security.
Office Supplies, Glass, Syringes and More
Electronics aren’t the only items that can ruin a shredding container. Syringes, glass, cans, cardboard tubes, ink cartridges, ink toners, hanging folders, nuts and bolts, office supplies like hole punchers and staple removers, and even sometimes food can all be very harmful and/or damaging when thrown in a standard shredding container carelessly.
To combat this, our team at Data Safe Group recommends using services that can dispose of these items properly. Data Safe offers specialized services to safely dispose of hard drives and electronics while also providing company-wide destruction programs.
How to Further Protect Your Organization from Data Breaches
Looking for more advice? Take a step towards even stronger protection by using Data Safe’s Risk Assessment Tool to help you and your organization identify and address any risks.
You can also contact us for a free quote or to learn more about how our confidential data destruction services can help protect your business.