Identify theft, human resource privacy laws and rules of confidentiality dictate that you protect sensitive financial, personnel and customer information. Lower your company’s liability in this regard through simple but effective document security measures.

For soft copy or electronic documents:

• Password protection, updated regularly
• Anti-virus, firewall and other electronic safeguards
• Daily data backup

For hard copy or paper documents:

• Organize your file system- it’s not secure if you can’t find it!
• Locked file cabinets
• Safe deposit box and/or fireproof safe
• Timely document destruction

Locked facility doors and activated alarms are an added good, but document destruction is one easy, high impact way to lower liability. Read: shredding!

Though tedious, this task got a lot easier at SBL when, for less than $200, we upgraded to a larger, higher quality paper shredder. It crosscuts documents into the less easily reconstructed confetti versus the spaghetti strips of paper, has a 15-sheet capacity and reverse mode to un-jam it. It cuts CDs and credit cards to boot. Best of all, the slide out bin means no one shirks off emptying the machine like we did when we had to remove our old, ungainly top-mounted shredder. We oil the blades monthly and keep dust off the electronic eye for seamless operation.

There is document destruction for everyone: engineers and architects can purchase large format shredders. If you generate lots of sensitive documents, consider a high volume, super-fast shredder or a document destruction service. Though more expensive and less immediate – your documents might sit temporarily in a locked box on premises – services handle higher volumes and some offer document storage and HIPPA compliance assistance as well.

For the shredder we purchased, the Fellowes C-14, we found the best price through www.cnet.com. Don’t forget to order the shredder oil.