It’s not unheard of for organizations to lack security measures due to the simple fact that they think it isn’t needed given the size of their business. Unfortunately, however, it can be the exact opposite. In fact, criminals often go after small companies as their primary targets KNOWING security isn’t always a priority for them.

With that said, this shouldn’t be the only reason you begin improving your internal security measures. A work culture that is clutter-free and means you don’t have to worry about the risks of a data breach which can be extremely devastating and costly if you’re affected. Experiencing a data breach can be stressful, not to mention damage your reputation. Small start-up companies can be far more vulnerable to this type of damage since in many of circumstances they are still focused on establishing a positive image in the community, and are in the middle of growing their customer base.

Both data breach and information theft can be difficult to recover from so it is especially important that you are taking the proper steps to prevent such outcomes if and whenever possible.

Key Security Practices We Suggest for a Start-up Business in Boston:

• Understand Your Legal Obligations
  Always do thorough research on the state and federal privacy laws that are applicable to your small business. Why? In essence, you are legally mandated to ensure private information is kept entirely protected from exposure, as a business owner.
• Design a Specific Security Policy
  Put some time aside to create a security policy for your team that explains the need for securing sensitive paperwork both in and outside of the workplace. Remember to supply specific guidelines for your mobile workforce as well, in this policy.
• Practice Secure Document Management
  Focus on collecting and storing information that is vital to your business only, and make sure you have full control over who can access these documents. In case of unexpected theft or natural disaster, it is in your best interest to have the proper means in place for effective data backup as well. Keep an organized and up-to-date inventory that also covers any and all documents considered private. This should be the case for both hard copy and electronic records.
• Turn to IT Protection
  For the best security, you should consider using the latest anti-spam software to keep yourself protected from cyber-crime, while allowing you to identity any dangerous malware or viruses.
• Educate and Train Your Employees Appropriately
  Make sure you are supplying employees with regular training when it comes to security updates and tips in staying protected.
• Amp Up Internal Security Measures
  We urge you to customize a policy that requests those who are visiting your office to sign-in prior to entering the rest of your building. Make a point to place locked collection bins throughout your office, as this allows your team to quickly and easily dispose of documents that will be collected for secure destruction, while also keeping their contents out of site from unauthorized eyes. A Clean Desk Policy is an ideal approach in reminding your staff how critical it is to secure sensitive information at all times; whether during storage or prior to disposal.
• Carry Out Risk Assessments
  Conduct a Security Risk Assessment schedule to determine whether or not there are security gaps in your company, and where attention is needed. You may also do this to determine where improvements can be made.
• Professional Document Shredding
  Hire an experienced and reputable company in Boston to look after the secure disposal of your sensitive documents. A1 DATASHRED provides several document shredding solutions to meet your budget and specific needs. Get in touch with our professional team to find out more surrounding our document shredding services and how they can be of help to your start-up business.

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Whether at work or at home, most of us are online on a frequent basis to socialize, research, browse, perform specific job duties, and communicate with customers or employees; after all, receiving immediate answers and results contributes greatly to whether a business runs smoothly and effectively. Unfortunately, the convenience of modern technology isn’t everything if you aren’t careful; in fact, online activity comes with considerable security risks to keep in mind and consider.

In what sense you might wonder? Hackers are constantly fishing for new ways in which they can obtain sensitive personal information through the web, and while document shredding is imperative in protecting your identity, protecting your identity online is of equal importance and should not be taken lightly.

As experts in protecting confidential data, A1 DATASHRED wants to remind our customers to take proper measures in remaining cautious online to stay protected from fraud or information theft. Of course, while the internet is an incredibly powerful tool that makes our lives so much easier in a lot of ways, cyber theft and fraud are the two biggest threats that unfortunately come with the territory!

We’d like to share with you some basic security advice you should be considering the next time you find yourself browsing, shopping, or sharing information over the web.

Online Shopping that is Safe and Secure

To remain secure and protected online, there are some rather valuable procedures and habits to take into consideration. For example, always come up with strong passwords that are long, challenging-to-guess, and consist of a combination of both numbers and lower/upper case letters. Enjoy shopping online? Don’t forget to verify whether the retailer’s security certificate is present and that the website you are using is a trusted source. If your computer system lacks sufficient security software, you will be a lot more vulnerable to such cyber risks like viruses and other malicious software. Remember that if you are exposed to a damaging virus, any data that is shared or processed on that computer could be in trouble. Possible issues that could stem from this occurring include theft of personally identifiable information, bank account information, and finally, credit card numbers. To prevent falling victim to these unfortunate circumstances, always verify there is a HTTPS lock symbol in your browser address window while making any online purchases.

Social Media Accounts

As social media platforms continue to dominate the online world, this creates more opportunities and outlets in which criminals can find your profile and attempt to steal personal data. If you’re exploring on Facebook or browsing Instagram, refrain from exposing personal information like your social security number. While obvious to most, sadly, there are still people who willingly publicize this information which can lead to dangerous consequences. still happen and can lead to alarming consequences. We also suggest that you make a habit of changing your online passwords on an ongoing basis. There is no need to provide detailed personal information on your social accounts, but if you do, it is best to stay away from details such as your place of business, hometown, or birth date. Don’t store credit card information online even if the source appears trustworthy; the same should go during any third-party app purchases. Take a good look at friend requests because in a lot of cases, cyber criminals will act under fake profiles to connect with you in hopes to discover your personal information for fraudulent behavior.

Anti-Virus Security Measures

Purchasing quality anti-virus software is most definitely worth the investment as it will protect you enormously online! With that in mind, doing adequate research online to weigh out your options prior to purchasing, is worth doing to obtain the best value and protection for your purchase. Paid protection is more effective than free. Whatever you do, do not skip using antivirus software as it’s extremely critical for maintaining your online safety.

Businesses of all industry specialties who regularly create, store, or share confidential information both internally and externally, should be implementing professional shredding services for the highest level of security. This includes hard drive destruction, data destruction, and both on-site and off-site document shredding.

At A1 DATASHRED, we will work with you to determine a shredding program that is most suitable for your needs; we’ll also handle the secure destruction of your electronic media as well, protecting you from every angle. Whether you have hard drives or backup tapes to dispose of, we’ll handle the entire process for you, ensuring the protection of your security is our top priority. Our professional solutions guarantee that your business is protected from data exposure and that you stay compliant with important privacy laws.

Get in touch with our team for further details about our secure document shredding and hard drive shredding services.

Call 1-888-95-SHRED

In celebration of EARTH DAY 2019, the city of Waltham Recycling Department will be hosting a free Recycling & Collection Event on Saturday, April 20th at Nipper Maher Park (65 Dartmouth St) for Waltham residents, MA. Bring your old tax returns, bank/credit card statements, ATM receipts, used airline tickets and/or medical bills. Shred your personal information to protect your identity. A1 DATASHRED will shred your documents.

Waltham residents can bring up to 4 banker boxes (12x15x10) of document to shred for FREE.

Fraud takes place in all forms and variations, and unfortunately it does not discriminate in relation to the size of businesses often targeted. Whether you are a small business or large corporation, fraudulent cases occur in workplaces of all types. Particularly, such cases may refer theft, forgery, computer crime as well as other “white collar” crimes. If your business becomes the victim of such an incident, it can result in devastating consequences.

So what can you do as a business owner to reduce the probability of fraud in your workplace?

Below are simple, but very effective practices you should consider implementing if you haven’t already:

• Create an Anti-fraud Policy and Be Sure it’s in Writing

Establishing an atmosphere in your workplace that is based on honesty and integrity shows employees that you care and are taking preemptive measures to limit chances of fraud. It is wise and recommended to put any policies regarding ethical behavior in written form; this ensures that each employee is thoroughly aware and understands what the fraud policies entail, and the penalties associated with breaking them.

• Offer an Anonymous Source for Tips

Provide an easy and accessible means for your staff to report any suspicions or tips surrounding fraudulent behavior. It’s necessary that everyone is aware of this procedure and the fact that they are encouraged to come forward with any concerns. It is estimated that the bulk of fraud that takes place (more than 50%) is in fact reported by employees. As a business owner, you should always give your full attention to any tips/advice you receive from your team.

• Perform Background Checks

For the safety of your employees and business, it’s imperative that part of your hiring approach involves detailed background checks to screen staff. This is especially critical for those taking on “risky” positions, like a financial role, or one that involves access to personal information, such as a customer service role.

• Implement a Secure, Document Shredding Program

Place collection bins or consoles next to each desk or provide a central and easy to access, collection area for old documents requiring shredding. In doing so, your employees can easily rid of sensitive material securely and quickly, keeping desks from becoming overcluttered and messy. These bins should remain locked until your shredding provider comes to your location to empty them. A document shredding program keeps your confidential information secure from prying eyes.

At A1 DATASHRED our experienced team will provide you with document management solutions that encourage a secure and organized work environment. Feel free to reach out to us for additional direction in relation to our document shredding services, where a representative will come to your location and shred all documents on-site right before your eyes.

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Office shredders are a common item found in many office settings across the country. As information theft and fraud become increasingly more concerning today, more companies are taking measures to shred old sensitive files in hopes to protect themselves from such risks, and we are encouraged to see this. The results of identity theft and fraud can be extremely damaging to any business, but especially smaller ones or start-up businesses. What many aren’t aware of however, is that the office shredder they think is assisting with securing their information, may be causing more harm than good as it turns out.

Why? The biggest issue with an office shredder is that the shredding produces strips of paper that can very easily be put back together if discovered by the wrong person with the intent to put the pieces back in place. They simply do not do a thorough job of shredding records so that they are unrecoverable. The information you thought was destroyed by your office shredder, could be entirely accessible which leaves you vulnerable. While there are more advanced office shredders that can do a more efficient job of shredding your material, they still lack several advantages in comparison to a professional document shredding company like A1 DATASHRED.

 No Certificate of Destruction

 In-house shredding services aren’t backed by legal certification for back-up proof. Professional shredding services carefully record each shredding job and provide customers with a Certificate of Destruction at the end of each service. This certificate guarantees the quality of destruction and provides physical evidence that the destruction occurred by industry experts, trained to do so. Without such proof of destruction, customers lack a means to prove shredding was performed in line with critical privacy legislation (such as FACTA and HIPAA), and this can lead to a problematic situation if and when an audit takes place.

Unreliable and Poor Monitoring

Document shredding services provided by a professional company like A1 DATASHRED , go to great lengths to keep a close eye on their shredding process. This strict approach is carried out so that the quality and security of these services is guaranteed. The biggest reason for monitoring the shredding process from beginning to end, is to verify that all document shredding specialists are performing each step with the protection of client privacy in mind, and so that protocols are not being breached. Poor monitoring can lead to protocols being broken throughout the destruction process, or in some cases, documents not reaching the shredder at all! Monitoring is very important in relation to quality of service, and professional shredding services do not take this responsibility lightly.

Proper Employee Training

 Many businesses don’t place too much emphasis on their shredding operations and how they are completed, and only some are confident enough in their employees to have the shredding executed in-house, of course as mentioned this comes with risks. Given the importance of the documents that are being shred it is imperative that whoever is handling the shredding of your information is trustworthy and properly trained. Professional shredding services go to great lengths to ensure that employees receive ongoing industry training, are up to speed on any chances in procedures, and are completing tasks according to protocol.

Is Your Business Making Document Shredding a Priority?

For many businesses, the costs of maintaining a shredding machine and properly trained and monitored operating team are too high to justify. Indeed, it is not cheap to own, maintain and properly operate a professional document shredder.

Many businesses in Boston opt instead to put their trust into A1 DATASHRED for professional document destruction needs. Whether you need regular shredding, or just have a one-time purge to be had, our expert team ensures that your documents are destroyed securely. Choose from both on and off-site to fit the scheduling and budgetary needs of your business.

If you feel it’s time to improve your approach to document security, consider outsourcing your shredding needs to an experienced and trustworthy business like us! Now is the time to be proactive and protect your most valuable business asset; information!

Get in touch with us today! Call 1-888-95-SHRED