Category: HIPAA
Paper and the Future of Data Security

The paper on your desk isn’t going away. The forms you need to fill out or have clients/customers fill out aren’t going away. Even as we live in the age of e-mail, online payments and transferring documents via zip/flash drives. We still need paper and we still need to address the security concerns that surround that paper. Those forms, receipts, order-sheets and statements have valuable information on them and remember; even its old and out of date, it can still be valuable to someone else. Someone who doesn’t have your best interests in heart; thieves pluck those documents out the trash and use the information on them to steal from you or your customers. It’s your responsibility to see that all that paper is disposed of in a safe and secure manner. That means you need a paper shredder.

What is the status of paper in today’s business world?

Paper consumption has risen 400% since 1970. The flip-side to that is that in the last ten years (2000-2010) paper production has declined on average of 1% per year. There are a lot of reasons for that double-sided statistic.  People print double-sided documents, screen technology is easier on the eyes, paperless storage technology is on the rise and email became vastly more popular and efficient then faxes and mailed correspondences. There are less pleasant reasons as well; such as white collar unemployment and companies printing less brochures and catalogs.

Despite the technological advancements of the last forty years, paper remains a constant in offices. You use for virtually everything; checks, stationary, envelopes, business reports/documents, printers, fax machines, advertisements, coupons, personal care products such as paper towels, toilet paper and issues. You would be hard-pressed to find an office that doesn’t have most if not all of those items. The world at large is still hungry for paper as well.  In 2010, over 300 million metric tons of paper products were used and sold worldwide. Of that total, over 68 million metric tons were used in the United States; we consume the most out of every country. In fact, the average US office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year and the average US consumer uses 749 lbs of paper products each year.

The main reason you need a shredder for the masses of paper that run through your office each year is security-oriented. Thieves will fish paper out of the trash for numbers for bank accounts, social security and credit cards, the main ingredients for identity theft; of which, there 15 million victims in 2010, which is 10% higher than the year before; corporate espionage is a constant threat as well. It accounted for $15 billion in 2010 and with a growth rate of 15%, the FBI declared it the fastest growing crime in the United States; Despite the various pieces of federal legislation enacted to protect clients and consumers; 1996 – HIPAA, 2002 – Sarbanes-Oxley, 2003 – FACTA and PCI-DSS in 2004.

People need shredders and they’re developing a taste and sense for good ones. What do people look for in a shredder nowadays? Increased waste volume for fewer bag changes, increased sheet capacity, the ability to shred other media and 12” feed width and machines that require no or minimal maintenance.  Add that to the fact that sales for strip cut shredders are declining and wide format (14 7/8”) printing is dead and you start to get a better picture. Another question you should consider when looking at shredding options is on-site vs. off-site shredding.

There are also environmental and safety concerns to be considered. UL has shifted from the 1950 to the 60950 standard and the EPA warns to careful about indoor air pollution, such as the paper dust caused by shredders. People want energy efficiency and to join the trend of “going green”.

For customers who would like all these concerns met and considered, Dahle Professional Shredders offers their CleanTEC line of shredders. They offer increased waste capacities in all ranges, increased sheet capacities and safe technology such as; verbal and contact emergency stop features and proximity sensors. The CleanTEC line also has electronic sensing protection (ESP) and a sheet capacity sensor which prevents overfeeding. The CleanTEC technology removes 98% of the fine dust generated by shredding and its SmartPower multi-stage power management system saves energy. The even flow lubrication ensures that the machine is oiled when and where it’s needed and it is quiet. All machines are made to run in the high 40s to low 50s db rating which should be acceptable in any work environment.

K.L. Security recognizes that secure and efficient shredders are an important part of office security; which is why we offer security and commercial shredders from Dahle. They are a company we believe in and their CleanTEC models can serve well in your office or home.