At some point, all businesses will need some kind of shredding service. Hard drives, papers, and other items that hold confidential information can’t just be thrown away, they must be destroyed. In fact, many businesses have strict regulations regarding how confidential data is handled. This when the necessity of an off-site shredding service comes in.
There are two types of shredding services, off-site shredding, and on-site shredding. As their names suggest, off-site shredding is done when a business brings the items they need to be shredded to a business, whereas on-site shredding is when a service comes directly to a business. Both of these services have their own benefits and downsides, so deciding which one is best definitely depends on an individual business’s needs. A lot of businesses tend to think that on-site shredding is a better option, but this isn’t always the case.
Pros of Off-Site Shredding
Off-site shredding can have quite a few pros, depending on the business. Some of the pros include:
Cost Effective
On-site shredding is typically much more expensive than off-site shredding. This is because on-site shredding requires a shredding company to bring their equipment to a business. Off-site shredding can be an excellent option for smaller businesses on a tighter budget.
Security Benefits
When the topic of shredding comes up, many people think off-site shredding is less secure than on-site shredding. They figure that once the items that need to be shredded are out of site, they don’t really know what happens to them. However, consider the fact that when items are sent to an off-site shredding service, they are mixed in with different items from different businesses. Documents being mixed with other businesses documents may make it harder for items to be stolen or recreated, which in turn improves security.
No Need to Rely on Employees
Sometimes, a business may consider shredding their own important documents and items. This requires a business to have an employee spend time engaged in the mundane task of media shredding. Employees having access to sensitive data can pose a security risk, as they can use this information for their own gain. Also, businesses waste time by having their employees shred data. If a business uses an off-site shredding service, they can have their employees focus on more important tasks. Doing this also lowers the risk of employees misusing sensitive data.
Cons of Off-Site Shredding
Possible Security Risk
One of the pros of off-site shredding was possible increased security, but it could also be more of a security risk, depending on your perspective. Some people see off-site shredding as a security risk since their data must be collected and sent to a facility. Also, more people physically handle the documents which can make business owners nervous. Fortunately, as long as a shredding service is NAID-certified (which it should be), they will take extra steps to ensure security. At All Green Recycling, we take out NAID certification and our responsibilities to our clients seriously and offer only the highest security and the best-trained staff.
Shredding Could Be Delayed
At data destruction facilities with fewer resources, data could potentially sit at a shredding facility for a while – days, weeks, or in some cases even months. But at All Green Recycling, we have the facilities and the people-power to process your shredding requirements as a matter of urgency. Some business owners worry about their data being accessed before it is shredded. Not every shredding facility allows a business to watch their data get shredded, which is another disadvantage. However, like mentioned above, NAID-certified facilities like All Green Recycling have extremely rigid standards which prevent data being accessed.
To find out how off-site shredding could benefit your business, contact All Green Recycling today.