Did you know that business espionage professionals consider a company’s trash dumpster to be the most available source of competitive and private information? This is due to people overlooking what they are throwing in the trash can and not taking information security as serious as it truly is. This is a major concern because any one document could contain important company information or employee information that is harmful if it ends up in the wrong hands.

Depending on your application, there are two options that can help increase your information security:

Option 1: Shred Service -Most commonly used for: Unclassified Applications

Questions to ask prior to signing a contract:

1. Who are the people destroying my information?
2. Are they a well recognized company?
3. Do they perform background checks on all of their employees?
4. What is the shred particle size?
5. Am I in compliance with my specifications?
6. Am I satisfied with the particle?
7. Is this cost efficient Am I overpaying?
8. Would it be more feasible to make a one time purchase to buy equipment?

Option 2: Purchase Equipment – Most commonly used for: Sensitive or Classified Applications

Questions to ask prior to purchasing equipment:

1. What is my volume?
2. Is this a constant volume?
3. Will I get a constant use of this machine or am I simply taking care of a purge?
4. Is this the right equipment for my application?
5. Does this fit my volume?
6. Does it have the capabilities that I need?

Although these options have been directed towards paper shredding, always consider that information resides on many different forms of media. There is equipment that is capable of destroying hard drives, tapes (all types), CD’s, DVD’s, floppy discs, zip drives, microfilm etc. So whether a shred service or purchasing equipment fits your application best – always make sure you evaluate your options and take the correct steps towards protecting your companies’ information.