Why Document Shredding is a Legal Consideration
Organizations across the country are subject to several forms of legislation regarding a variety of operations. Interestingly enough, some of these laws integrate document shredding as a mandated component in day to day operations. Security Shredding’s team of professionals in New Jersey are highly knowledgeable in the requirements set out by both federal and state governments in association with our NAID Certification. Continue reading to learn about additional laws regulations that incorporate document shredding, and how it may apply to your particular field of work.
HITECH
The Health Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health act was designed by the federal government under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. The primary purpose behind HITECH was the introduction of the requirement for HIPAA-covered entities to inform affected victims if it’s known there has been a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI). It also discusses the necessities that must be met in order for the breach of notification stipulation to be dismissed. Companies covered under HIPAA are also mandated to notify HSS and the media if a breach happens to exceed 500 victims. Most notably, however, is that the act states that encryption of electronic data and the physical shredding of paper PHI are the only methodologies recognized in order for persons to be exempt from the breath notification requirement. If you run a healthcare operation, you find more details surrounding HITECH here, or speak to the professional team at Security Shredding in New Jersey, for advice and direction with this.
GLBA
If you’re affiliated with the financial sector, it’s critical that you or another employee is well familiarized with this particular act. The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act was implemented in 1999 with the objective of guarding sensitive consumer information held by financial institutions. This refers to any information used to get a financial product (SSN, address, name etc.), any information received from a transaction associated with your financial products or services, or any information received about an individual in connection with supplying such financial products and services. You can find a guide issued by the FTC on how to comply with GLBA here.
FERPA
The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that aims to secure students’ educational documents. The law applies to anyone that receives funding under programs administered by the US department of education. To prevent unauthorized disclosures of private information, it is recommended that relevant entities use secure procedures, such as document destruction to dispose of confidential records. Failing to dispose of records properly may be recognized as an unauthorized disclosure, putting companies in a vulnerable position, in the hands of the federal government. To further educate yourself on FERPA, check out the Department of Education’s official portal on the act here, or contact Security Shredding’s team of document shredding professionals to partner with your New Jersey business.
Confirming that your business is up to snuff on the law is critical to remain alive and competitive. Security Shredding’s highly secure shredding services provide an essential step in ensuring your business doesn’t have to deal with the hassle of legal issues. Keep doing what you do best, and we’ll cover the rest!
Contact our team in New Jersey to learn more about how we can help you and your team.
Call our office at 973-734-1911!
