Answers to Common Information Destruction Questions

At CI Information Management, we’re proud to be a trusted resource for our clients and prospective customers. Every day, we’re asked questions about information destruction. This isn’t surprising considering the wide range of privacy and compliance concerns businesses large and small have to deal with. In this blog post, we answer some of these common information destruction questions:

Q: Why can’t I just erase my old hard drive?

A: Even if you delete files from your old hard drive, there’s no guarantee that you’ve removed all traces of sensitive data. With the right tools, criminals can access data on deleted and reformatted digital devices. The only way to be absolutely sure your data isn’t compromised is by using a hard drive, media and tape destruction service.

Q: What’s wrong with using an office shredder?

A: Shredding your documents with an office shredder is certainly better than not shredding your documents. The problem with office shredders is that they are slow and unreliable. Staples and paperclips have to be removed from documents before they can be shredded. Paper jams are frequent. As a result, it can take an employee several minutes to shred a single file. That’s not a good use of time that could be spent generating revenue.

By using a professional shredding and destruction partner, your business saves time and money and gains a more reliable and secure privacy protection solution.

Q: Should I destroy my documents on-site or off-site?

A: It depends on your company policy or personal preference. Whether you choose on-site mobile paper shredding or off-site plant-based shredding, we destroy your documents to NAID AAA Certification standards within a strict chain of custody.

Q: What does “NAID AAA Certified” mean?

A: NAID stands for the National Association of Information Destruction, the international trade association for companies providing information destruction services. The NAID AAA Certification Program establishes standards for a secure destruction process in the areas of operational security, employee hiring and background screening, responsible paper disposal, and insurance. When a NAID Member has completed a successful audit, they are issued a certificate showing their company name, type of operations and the specific materials they are certified to perform. Using a NAID AAA Certified shredding and destruction company means you receive the highest level of privacy protection.

Q: How long does on-site mobile shredding take?

A: Shredding time depends on the volume of information you have to destroy. Still, on-site mobile shredding is fast. Mobile paper shredding trucks use industrial-grade shredders that turn sensitive business documents into confetti-sized pieces very quickly. They go through hundreds of pounds of paper in a matter of minutes. 

Q: Do I pay more to have my shredded paper recycled?

A: No. When you choose the right shredding and destruction partner, your documents are automatically recycled after destruction at no extra charge.

Do you have an information destruction question we didn’t answer here? Give us a call at 509-586-6090 and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.

CI Information Management services Tri Cities, the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, Hermiston, OR, Moses Lake, Wenatchee, and nearly everywhere in between. For more information about our shredding and destruction services, please call us at 509-586-6090 or complete our contact us form.