Document Destruction Policy

As hard as we’ve tried, the world has not gone paperless yet.

Paper documents allow important information to be easily recorded and shared. But just like deleting documents on your computer doesn’t mean they are securely deleted, throwing paper into the waste basket or recycling bin doesn’t mean they will be securely destroyed.

Once your organization’s trash hits the streets it becomes public property.

Don’t let a small mistake cost your organization thousands or millions in the form of an embarrassing data or privacy breach — implement a document destruction policy as soon as possible.

What is a Document Destruction Policy?

A document destruction policy directs all your organization’s employees to securely dispose of documents when they are no longer needed.

Instead of putting documents into a waste basket or recycling bin, employees must use a secure method of destroying documents to ensure that no confidential data or personal information ever leaves the organization and into the wrong hands.

Why Implement a Document Destruction Policy?

A document destruction policy should be implemented because of the numerous benefits it offers your organization.

Compliance with the Law

Depending on your organization and its industry, a document destruction policy can help it become compliant with legislation such as:

• Gramm Leach Bliley
• Sarbanes Oxley
• PIPEDA Principles

Protects Business Assets

Your organization can spend hundreds of thousands on computer security, but what stops one of your employees from printing confidential data and putting it into the waste basket?

A document shredding policy protects your organization’s trade secrets, client lists, account information, policies and procedures, and financials.

Minimizes the Chances of a Privacy Breach

Your organization does not want to be responsible for an embarrassing privacy breach. Organizations must understand that personal information is a liability and it must be disposed of properly.

Implementing a Document Destruction Policy

The best way to securely destroy documents is to employ a third-party shredding partner. Your organization can choose to use small personal shredders, but operating these are time-consuming and frequently get jammed and require maintenance.

Employing a third-party shredding partner like the global leader Shred-it offers numerous benefits. It allows your organization to outsource a necessary, but very time-consuming task, and many provide lockable bins that only need to be serviced when full. When it is time to empty the bins, your documents are shredded effortlessly on-site.