Choosing to use an outside firm to shred documents is a wise use of resources. Providers of this service have the equipment needed to reduce those documents to tiny bits that could never be reconstructed. Since the goal is to make sure proprietary information does not fall into the hands of competitors or others who would use it for their own purposes, it pays to work with a provider who offers what is known as a proof of destruction.
What is Proof of Destruction and Is It Really That Important?
This document serves as verification that all items handed over to the shredding service are destroyed in a manner that makes it impossible to retrieve any useful information. For the client, this makes it much easier to cross-reference the old documents given to the service with confirmation that they were in fact destroyed. In terms of internal security, this makes it much easier to keep up with what has and has not been shredded.
Documents like client lists, notes on product development, and other essentials are often destroyed once they are no longer needed in hard copy form. While the data is still available electronically to authorized personnel, it is harder to keep tabs on papers generated for use in meetings and similar settings. By obtaining proof that those paper copies were disposed of properly, the chance of the data getting into the wrong hands is reduced.
What Sort of Detail is Found on the Document?
Along with the question of What is Proof of Destruction, people also want to know what sort of detail is included on the form. While specifics may vary from one provider to the next, there is a core group of information that is found in any verification. That data includes a short description of the documents received, the date they were picked up from the client location, and the date they were destroyed. It is not unusual for the provider to include details about the method of destruction, which may include burning and pulverizing along with shredding.
Business owners who are concerned about unauthorized use of data would do well to contract the services of a shredding company. Call today and find out more about the costs and the options for document destruction.