Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and virtually all health care providers.

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) applies to all individuals and businesses in the United States, and requires the destruction of all consumer information before it is discarded. FACTA provides for substantial civil liability and can be enforced at the State and Federal levels.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act, addresses concerns relating to consumer financial privacy. This law requires financial institutions of all kinds to safeguard customer records. Penalties can reach up to $100,000 per violation.

Some Employees Should Not Handle Sensitive Information

Having management-level employees perform shredding is a great waste of their time. And having entry-level employees perform the task allows them to see sensitive and confidential information they should not see. Outsourcing your shredding fixes both these problems!

Employees Shredding Provides No Record of Compliance

In the event of a privacy complaint or an audit, you will be asked to provide proof that you have complied with information protection laws. Shredding documents yourself provides no real proof of compliance. Outsourcing shows a verifiable and proper record of document destruction.

Your Employees Cannot
Shred Certain Items

Don't forget about Electronic Waste! Before you throw out, recycle or sell those old computers, printers and copiers, you need to ensure there is no identifying information left on them. (Even certain copiers contain a hard drive.) File Thirteen can destroy Computer Hard Drives, CDs, DVDs, Videotapes, Computer Backup Tapes, and More!