Why Shred?

Safe document destruction isn’t just a good business idea, it’s the law. Businesses are held to very high standards of confidentiality by not only their clients, patients, and customers, but also by both federal and state laws. Failure to meet these standards can result in lawsuits, fines, even imprisonment. We can help ensure that these standards are met with our secure document destruction.

We recycle the documents we shred at Wildcat Shredding. Shredding with us does not only save you time and money, it helps save the environment. For every ton (2000 pounds or approximately 67 file boxes) of shredded paper recycled we can save 17 trees. 17 trees can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide (as opposed to the 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide that would created by burning that ton of paper). Aside from the very important job of saving trees, for every ton of paper recycled, we can also save 4000 kilowatts of energy and 7000 gallons of water.

Directly recycling your documents is simply not enough. Every paper left in a recycling bin opens up a company to information leaks and thefts. These bins are magnets for thieves and a security risk no company needs to take. We will help your company reduce its carbon footprint just like directly recycling your papers would, while also reducing your security risks.

The average office worker handles more than 10,000 sheets of paper a year. Even if only 10 percent of those pieces of paper is a sensitive document, that’s 1,000 opportunities to mishandle information. If only 1 percent of those documents actually get stolen, misplaced, or used inappropriately, that is still 10 times a year that your company is open to litigation for every employee that you have. In other words, even a small company with limited sensitive documents with only 10 employees opens itself up to litigation a minimum of 100 times every year.”

Key Privacy Laws

The penalties and fines a business can incur when breaching privacy laws in the US are on the rise and enforcement of these penalties has become more stringent. Many business owners are not aware of their legal obligations, or of the most updated legal requirements. Find out more about the laws ­ and potential repercussions of violating those laws ­ regarding confidential information and privacy here.
FACTA – THE FAIR AND ACCURATE CREDIT TRANSACTIONS ACT
This act contains a number of provisions to help Fight identity theft and consumer fraud. The act requires the destruction of papers containing private consumer information. This law binds virtually all businesses and organizations. Potential penalties for violating the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act include up to $1,000 for actual damages plus punitive damages and the costs of action. Find out more information about FACTA here: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2004/11/041118disposalfrn.pdf
HIPAA – THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
This act is a federal law that governs the handling of confidential medical and personal information and records. There are no distinctions between sizes of healthcare providers when it comes to HIPAA compliance. Potential penalties for violating the HIPAA Act is a range of minimum civil monetary penalties to a maximum of $1.5 million for all violations. Find out more information about HIPAA here:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
GLB – THE GRAMM-­LEACH­-BLILEY ACT
This act legislates the handling of all personal information. More comprehensive than HIPAA, this law mandates that all financial institutions establish procedures for protecting personal information, including the protection of discarded information. Potential penalties for violating the GLB Act includes fines or imprisonment. Individual fines can be up to $1,000,000. Find out more information about GLBA here:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips­advice/business­center/privacy­and­security/gramm­leach­bliley­act