Carolina Shred Knowledge | Risk Management

When it’s time to upgrade your computer, or you’re forced to upgrade because of outdated technology, you will probably move all of the data on the current hard drive to the new hard drive. However, that doesn’t mean the data is gone, even if you erase it after you’ve transferred it. Any criminal could get the hard drive and steal the data off of it. Even if you “wipe” the drive, a hacker could recover some or all of your sensitive data. To adequately protect your private data, and that of your clients if you are upgrading a business computer, contact Carolina Shred about our hard drive destruction services.

When it comes to getting rid of documents and other technology, many people opt to do it themselves without realizing how quickly they are compromising sensitive information. While it is always good to use a firm that specializes in hard drive destruction, it is much better to physically destroy your hard drive instead of using a data wiping program. It’s important to note that physically destroying the hard drive doesn’t mean dropping it on the floor and thinking you’ve damaged it enough to harm the data on it. It takes much more than that.

Think about the last time your laptop or desktop computer bit the dust. Chances are you relegated it to the electronic waste facility (or sold for a few bucks on Craigslist) without a second thought. 

Most offices have a records retention schedule that determines how long the office has to keep client or patient records. At the end of the retention time, the office may shred the files if the clients or patients do not want them. Personnel should use proper procedures for document destruction of those documents and files that have an expired retention time. For example, the law requires many law offices to retain client files for at least seven years. At the end of seven years, the office may destroy the files if the client does not want them.

Medical businesses and some other businesses are required to keep records for a certain period of time pursuant to HIPPA regulations. Additionally, when it’s time to get rid of those records, these businesses must dispose of medical documents and other personal or confidential documents in such a manner so that no person may recover the documents. While North Carolina has no state law dictating how long a business must keep client or patient files, federal laws and regulations do.

When you notice transactions on your bank account or credit card that you know you didn't make, your heart sinks, knowing that your information was somehow compromised. The first thought through your head is, “My identity was stolen, this needs to get fixed.” However, several steps must be taken to repair the damage, and it may seem overwhelming at first. So that you don't miss anything, make a list of what to do if your identity is stolen. So how do you prevent identity theft and what steps to take if your identity is stolen.