The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is a trade association for companies that offer information destruction services. Equipment, product, and service suppliers for destruction companies are also eligible for membership. The organization promotes the information destruction industry and the ethics and standards that its members uphold.

Wiping out hard drives sounds easy; with one click of the “delete” button, it’s gone. While that does seem simple, it really isn’t the best method of securely getting rid of important data.

Incidents of theft identity are on the rise and they are affecting not only individuals but also businesses. They are falling prey to fraudsters who are accessing their records and using them to get into their bank accounts and charge expenses to corporate credit and debit cards. Every business should take every possible precaution to guard against such incidents. Engaging the services of UCI Mobile Paper Shredding is a good place to start.

Almost everyone knows the importance of shredding sensitive materials and documents. Criminals have grown more efficient at stealing valuable information from documents that aren’t properly destroyed. Shredding is one of the best ways to avoid identity theft and ensure your personal information is safe.

Many businesses begin to think about document purging during the winter, especially around the beginning of a new year. This term refers to shredding large amounts of files and documents. Organizing your files and paperwork should be done throughout the year. It can make deciding what to keep and what to shred easier. Document purging helps to protect your staff, customers and clients, and business safe from criminals and violating the law. Having a plan in place, knowing what to shred, and knowing how to shred can make document purging easier.

Many companies aren’t sure how long they should hold onto important tax paperwork. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by piles of papers. However, you don’t want to end up throwing out something that you may need to refer back to down the road. Bankers, accountants, lawyers, and government agencies all have differing opinions about how long you should retain tax documents, which makes the process even tougher. The following guidelines will help you make educated decisions about your tax documents and related paperwork.

Wiping a hard drive refers to the process of erasing data from a computer by overwriting it with binary code. There is a popular myth that you must write over data multiple times to make it unrecoverable. In reality, overwriting a drive once offers the same level of protection as overwriting a drive multiple times. Wiping the hard drive is done in instances like selling a computer or disposing of it. But simply wiping the hard drive isn’t enough protection. Someone who is computer savvy enough can retrieve enough data to access your personal information (or confidential client information).

In 2012, identity theft cost Americans $24.7 billion. In 2013, it cost Americans $10 billion more than all other types of property crime combined. Not only does identity theft cripple businesses from a financial perspective but it also compromises their safety. It only takes one stray scrap of paper with just the right information still legible to constitute a data breach that can compromise a sterling reputation and bring about a bevy of legal liabilities.

The well-being and reputation of a company often depends on how it protects its business documents and customers’ privacy. Your business’ and your customers’ paperwork is confidential and private. You don’t want it to get in the wrong hands. One way to protect both parties is by hiring professional document shredding services. But how do you select the right shredding service for your business? As you weigh your options, consider the following factors.

One of the most common ways a business has their private data breached is by identity thieves going through documents in the garbage. In an effort to prevent private data ending up in the wrong hands, many organizations use a simple strip shredder to destroy confidential documents. Then they throw the remains as well as all of their other garbage into the company dumpster in the alley or parking lot.