Why shred documents? Paper Shredding is the answer is to protect confidential business and personal information therefore protecting your business and your customers.

Document Shredding is a necessity in today's market. Identity Theft is a widespread crime taking advantage of inadequate security and poor business practices opening companies up to liability suits, fines and loss of clientele.

Paper Shredding not only protects your clients and business against identity theft but it also is a key component in being compliant with several federal laws like:

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
  • The United States Department of Health and Human Services developed standards and requirements for the maintenance and transmission of health information that identifies individual patients
  • HIPAA will have a major, ongoing impact on healthcare providers.
  • The HIPAA compliance deadline is April 14, 2003 . The Department of Human Services for Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing the privacy regulations which will carry significant criminal and civil penalties.
  • General penalty for failure to comply is $100 for each violation. Maximum penalty for all violations of an identical requirement may not exceed $25,000.
  • Wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information is $50,000, imprisonment of not more than one year or both
  • Offense under false pretenses is $100,000, imprisonment of not more than 5 years or both
  • Offense with intent to sell information is $250,000, imprisonment of not more than 10 years or both.
• 1974 Federal Privacy Act
• This act was established to insure that government agencies protect the privacy of businesses and individuals with regard to information held by them, and to hold these agencies liable if there is an unauthorized release of information.
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
  • The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 2000 requires companies significantly involved in financial activities to provide security and confidentiality of non-public customer's personal records and information. This law has radically impacted the financial industry.
    All covered businesses must be in full compliance by July 1, 2002 .