Document Shredding and the Legal Aspects

Companies in the United States must follow several laws regarding day-to-day operations. As you may have guessed, some of this legislation directly refers to the secure disposal of sensitive documents, or better yet secure document shredding as a crucial component in protecting information.

ShredPro Secure’s team of experts in Knoxville are well aware of the requirements set out by both federal and state governments in accordance with our NAID Certification. Below is additional information regarding key legislation that incorporates document shredding, and whether your legal practice should take appropriate action.

HITECH

The Health Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health act was enacted by the federal government under the American Recovery & Reinvestment act of 2009. The main feature of HITECH was the introduction of the requirement for HIPAA-covered entities to inform affected victims should there be breaches of unsecured protected health information (PIH). It also clarifies the requirements that need to be met in order for the breach of notification stipulation to be dismissed. Organizations protected under HIPAA are also obligated to notify HSS and the media in the event that a breach affects more than 500 victims. Most importantly, however, is that the act specifically notes that encryption of electronic data and the physical destruction of paper PHI are the only methodologies acknowledged for entities to be relieved of the breach notification requirement. If your business is a part of the healthcare industry, you can discover additional information about HITECH here, or get in touch with ShredPro Secure in New Berlin, to speak with us regarding your obligations and how we can help you meet them effectively.

GLBA

If you are part of the financial industry then you should be sure that you or an alternative employee is familiar with this act. The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act came into effect in 1999 with the objective to protect confidential 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 involving your financial products or services, or any information received about an individual in relation to providing such financial products and services. You can find a guide provided by the FTC on how to follow and comply with GLBA here.

FERPA

This act, referred to as the Family Education Rights & Privacy Act, is a federal law that aims to protect the student educational records. The law applies to all entities that are given funding under programs administered by the US department of education. In an effort to prevent unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information, it is highly suggested that relevant entities use secure processes such as document shredding, to dispose of confidential records. Improper disposal of documents may be viewed as an unauthorized disclosure, putting companies in trouble at the hands of the federal government. To learn more about FERPA, check out the Department of Education’s official portal on the act here, or contact ShredPro Secure’s team of document disposal professionals to serve your business in Knoxville.

Ensuring your business is up-to-date on specifics of the law is vital to gain a competitive edge and remain successful. ShredPro Secure’s highly secure shredding solutions, offer you one step in ensuring your organization can stop the stress of legal trouble and continue doing what it does best.

If you’re in the Knoxville region and your law firm is seeking professional shredding services, learn more about how we can assist your office in remaining compliant.

Call us today at 865-986-5444.