When running a business, there are several crucial documents involved. These include financial, legal, company structure, company information, employee and client information documents, etc. Under the General Data Protection Regulation, the law states that every business or company is responsible for protecting its confidential or important information. Some instances may force businesses to have to dispose of their confidential information.
What is the best way of disposing of important company documents?
A shredder is one of the most popular machines in various business premises that use paper-based documents. There are several instances where documents may require paper shredding, as document shredding is the best way to dispose of paper-based business documents. However, shredding the documents does not make them go away. Some people would go to great lengths to put together the shredded pieces for various reasons. Therefore, the proper disposal of the shredded business documents is paramount. This is because any mistakes in the disposal could lead to costly consequences for the business. This is especially important if the shredded documents contain confidential and important business information that must be protected. The Maltings Shredding in Cardiff provides a secure and confidential waste disposal service for document shredding.
What are the benefits of shredding for businesses?
Below are some of the primary benefits of document shredding for businesses;
It helps prevent identity theft
Businesses may have to dispose of important documents if there is a risk of identity theft. This is one of the most common forms of fraud currently in the UK and beyond. Identity theft can cost a business a lot of money, clients, and trust. For this reason, shredding or disposal is beneficial.
It helps create more space
Running a paper-based company usually requires a lot of storage space. However, as time goes by, the documents keep increasing. With time, the space runs out as cupboards, filing cabinets, and other storage facilities get filled up. For this reason, you may want to free up some space from time to time by disposing of some documents. This is not only a requirement with paper-based storage. Computers and digital storage facilities also tend to run out of space after some time.
It helps prevent data breaches
Companies also need to dispose of critical documents by shredding to avoid data breaches. From physical theft of paper-based documents to cyber-attacks, there are numerous ways through which criminals and rivals can breach important business data. Proper disposal is a sure way to prevent this from happening.
How to properly dispose of shredded business documents
Equally as important as paper shredding or document shredding is proper disposal. The following are some ideas on how you can properly dispose of shredded business documents;
Throwing them in the garbage
One of the easiest and most popular techniques of disposing of shredded business documents is throwing them in the garbage. While this may seem like the least secure way to dispose of important business documents, it actually is quite safe. All you have to do is ensure that you separate the shreds into several different bags and mixing them with other garbage like kitchen trash. It would also be wise to mix the shreds with semi-liquid materials in the garbage. Doing this will ensure that the likelihood of information theft is lower.
Recycling
Another excellent method that most people assume not to be as safe is recycling. When you put your shredded business documents into the recycling bin, they are likely to get combined with other people’s recycled paper. This makes it harder for the documents to get accessed. For this reason, recycling is often considered a safer way to dispose of than throwing the shreds into the garbage. Regardless, it would still help to separate the shreds into different bags. It is also worth mentioning that recycling is an eco-friendly practice.
Get rid of the digital documents as well
Even after secure shredding, more often than not, you will find that the documents are still available in digital form. This means that anyone can access the documents electronically. Therefore, in addition to ensuring correct and secure shredding, you must ensure that all information traces, including the digital documents, are destroyed. This is especially important if you no longer have a reason to retain the data. Deleting the digital documents permanently will help ensure that your business does not fall victim to cyber-attacks and data breaches that could result in costly and critical consequences. You can always use your internal IT experts to help you clean your digital storage. However, if you do not have an internal IT department, you may have to employ one. If you choose to employ one, you must ensure that they are trustworthy.
Importance of hiring professional services
Businesses and companies can benefit significantly from professional services. Whether it is shredding, scanning, or disposal, hiring professionals always comes in handy. For instance, working with a professional scanning service provider will help ensure that your data or information is safe and you also get high-quality services.
Final word
It is worth mentioning that paper shredding is the best, most effective, and secure technique of destroying confidential business documents. The trick to proper and secure shredding is to use the correct method and create a checklist before starting the process. This will help save you from the great risks of losing important company information.
