The Houston Shredder

It’s 9 o’clock Houston. Do you know where your documents are?

The start of a new year brings new resolutions.  What better time to address information management and secure shredding services in Houston Texas!  Did you know that a recycling program is not the same as a destruction program.  Many of the recyclers will tell their clients that their information will be destroyed during the recycling process.  The question that should be asked is “Where do our documents go after the recycler picks them up?  Who has access to those documents?”  Most people are unaware that recyclers bale white paper perfectly intact and the bales are shipped overseas.  Shipping containers arrive from China packed with goods to be sold in the United States and are returned packed with recycled paper.  Those bales of paper and their contents find their way to Chinese ports.  Scared?  You better be.   Through the years China has been notorious with stealing proprietary information, Identity theft, and the biggest threat these days is cyber attacks.  Think of all the back doors that a team of hackers could discover into your network from discarded printed emails.  It’s happening thousands of times a day.  So as we embark on the New Year, be smart and let a Houston Shredding services company help you protect yourself, your company, and your clients.

Dallas county allows criminals to shred confidential documents

DALLAS — Dallas County’s little-known community service program which lets convicted criminals sort and then shred confidential documents and personal information has come to an end after News 8 questioned the practice.
For more than a decade, parolees and probationers had been working off community service hours by destroying thousands of sensitive documents — including psychiatric exams of juveniles, copies of Social Security cards, birth certificates, court records, drug tests, and even medical records.
Many were clearly stamped “CONFIDENTIAL.”
One document reviewed by News 8 reads: “CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED: This report is provided for your use ONLY. It should not be revealed to any person whatsoever — not even to the person(s) to whom it relates without the authorization of the court.”
Dallas County has ordered all of these documents to be destroyed, in keeping with its records retention policy. But neither the public nor many high-ranking county officials were aware that convicted criminals were handling the information.
At the minimum, this practice raises concerns of information security and identity theft. But experts said the county could face more serious scrutiny.
“This is serious,” said Matthew Yarbrough, a Dallas attorney who’s also a former federal prosecutor. “This is the sort of behavior or business process — even by the county — that is unacceptable.”
Dallas County could be liable, Yarbrough said, if anyone misuses the information.
Plus, having criminals handle medical records could mean Dallas County is violating federal privacy rights for medical records, known as HIPAA, Yarbrough added.
“Any convicted felon handling your personal patient information should be something that gives you pause,” he said.
Criminals have shred sensitive documents almost daily for the past decade at a run-down warehouse in the 4800 block of Harry Hines Boulevard.
The Community Service and Corrections Department, which organizes document destruction, goes through more than a half-million pounds of paper each year, the county revealed.
Who started the practice and why criminals were allowed to be around sensitive data remains uncertain.
“I just can’t believe that this has been going on,” said Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey. She said the county should hire a professional shredding service.
“By not disposing these documents in an acceptable way brings a great deal of exposure to the county,” Dickey said.
Dallas County pointed out that the probationers and parolees are supervised whenever they are around the personal information, and no issue has ever arisen until one probationer recently smuggled out at least a dozen documents to expose the problem.
In addition to showing the information to News 8, the documents were also turned over to the district attorney’s office.
Days after News 8 started asking questions and brought this to light, County Judge Clay Jenkins took action and stopped the practice of criminals from putting their hands on such sensitive information.
“It’s important we protect the confidential data the people entrust the government with. Period. And we need to make sure we get that done right,” Judge Jenkins said.
He said he ordered an immediate review of the practice to determine how to protect this information in the future.

Shredding Services Houston – Open Debate

It’s 2011!  While we here at On-Site Shred are trying to embrace the new “social” aspect of keeping in touch with our fellow Houstonians, talking about shredding can get a little boring at times.  We provide shredding services in Houston and we take a lot of pride in our security measures and our customer service.  We love to talk shop, but also realize there are other things to talk about.  Houston is the third largest city in this great nation so it provides lots of avenues for discussion.  We are very lucky to have so many great restaurants throughout the city.  What is your favorite restaurant and why?

Shredding Services Houston – Paper Recycling – A Conscious Choice for Business

Paper shredding is not just the simple act of tearing up old paper to be disposed of.  It goes much further than that.  Document shredding is a twofold business of keeping confidential information safe by complete destruction and working to create a healthier planet by recycling efforts.  These are the key forces behind the paper shredding services Houston has to offer individuals.  This is the basis for the evolution of the document shredding industry as it stands today.

Through the use of amazing technological advances and a better understanding of how important the process is, the shredding of documents has come a substantial way from what it was ten years ago.  The paper recycling Houston companies offer is no longer the simple process of collecting the trash and taking it off to be remanufactured into another product. Houston shredding is vital to businesses that have clients and customers with confidential documentation that needs to be eliminated and made impossible for individuals to get their hands on.

It’s not just about a shredder any longer.  Now you can hire a Houston shredding company to come to your location on a regular basis or when you decide you need them to appear and remove your sensitive confidential information and destroy it.  This can mean that they will roll up in a mobile shredding vehicle and unload the paper from the building straight into the back of a shredder and destroy it in minutes.  This paper is then taken away to a recycling holding station.  At some point the materials, which are completely destroyed and unable to be put back together with no chance of prying eyes making heads or tails of the remains, is cleaned and processed turning it into a substance that will be used for production of other paper products.

This is an amazing stretch from where the process was ten years ago and shows the dedication that much of the world has for saving the planet from further harm by thoughtless waste.  And in the process the clients and customers of the businesses are happy to know that their documents and company information is safely destroyed and of no use to anyone wishing to do them harm by identity theft or any of the other unthinkable crimes.  The conscious choice by business owners to use a shredding company to recycle the useless information and keeping their clients safe from harm shows great dedication by the business owner and this will be respected by the employees and the clients and customers alike.

Shredding Services Houston – Daily discount

It’s that time of year, time to rotate the records and make room for the new.  Wondering which documents should be shredded?  All Texas businesses are required to have a retention policy on file.  Please click “here” for guidance on retention schedules.  We are offering discounts throughout the month of January, please contact us and a document destruction specialists can answer any questions you may have and/or schedule a destruction time.

On-Site Shred is a Houston Shredding Service company that provides protection through destruction with pulverizing on-site shredding technology.

Houston Shredding Service – Battle Red Discount

That’s right Houstonians, it’s Battle Red Day.  A day for all Houstonians to don the red apparel in support of the Houston Texans!  Battle Red Day started in June of 1645.  Cromwell was made general of the Horse and the New Model Army met the Royalists at Naseby in Northamptonshire.  That was the Red coats wasn’t it?  Actually, Battle Red Day is an annual tradition of our Houston Texans that began back in 2003.  Twice during a season a team can designate an alternate uniform to be worn.  The Texans have chosen this Monday night’s game as “Battle Red Day”  Look around the city on Monday and you will see red jerseys everywhere you look!  In keeping with the Battle Red spirit we will offer a one day shredding discount.  Use discount code “Battle Red” and however many point the Texans score, that will be the discounted rate.  If the Texans score 30 points, you receive 30% off your total invoice.  This offer is valid on December 14th for one day only.  You may book in advance and still receive your discount.

Go Texans!!!

Shredding services Houston – paper recycling

For those who have thought that there must be a better use for the large amounts of paper that come through a business in a day, there is paper shredding.  Document shredding is one of the most efficient ways to handle the incredible amount of wasted paper that makes its way out to the trash on a regular basis.  For those interested in taking care of the environment the recycling accomplished with paper shredding is a big step in the right direction. 

In addition to being environmentally friendly, paper shredding also assists in keeping the client’s private information secure and out of prying hands.  There are a number of shredding services Houston residents and business owners can take advantage of.  Houston shredding services offer some of the best recycling services available.  With some of the services you are able to contract them to come to your location and using a mobile shredder they will take the paper from your business and shred it on the spot.  The paper recycling Houston offers is tremendous in creating steps to better the planet.

When selecting a shredding company you may want to ask about a contract price versus calling in when you need shredding.  There may be a discount offered that is well worth the time to ask about it.  This may save you a great deal of money in the long run and you will gain the security that your clients’ documents are safely shredded away leaving no trace of the information there.  Your clients will appreciate the confidence they can have in your business as well.  It is no small undertaking to take mountains of paper and turn them into tiny pieces to be turned into new products.  This is a process that has come a long way in the past several years. 

With computers being at the forefront of business it is sometimes forgotten that there is still a great deal of paper to deal with.  Using the services of a Houston shredding company will not only benefit the business, the clients and the customers but will help keep the planet on the right track for a long life.  It is the small steps and the time taken in each decision that is made, to make a conscious effort to care for the planet that will result in positive steps for the planet.  Every time you make a decision to pick the green path in anything you do, you will benefit generations to come.

Shredding Services Houston – Daily Discount code

Nobody shreds it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody shreds it, half the size as you
Baby, you’re the best

I wasn’t shredding‘ but somehow you found me
It tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The shredder who loved me
Is keepin’ all my secrets safe tonight

And nobody shreds it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why’d you have to be so good?

What are the Holidays without a James Bond marathon?  Use discount code “James Bond” for a 007 shredding rate!

Houston Shredding Services – daily discount code

Is it just us?  Or does December fly by?  New Red Flag rules to take effect in 2011.  If you are not up-to-date on all the new laws that will be implemented at the first of the year,  give one of our trained document destruction specialist a call for clarification.  We are quickly filling our schedule so please do not delay in securing your destruction slot. 

Use daily discount code 121010 for a reduced rate off our normal rates.

shredding services Houston – Discount code 12/09/10

It’s that time of year that makes everyone tense,

The dreaded disposal of the company’s documents,

The shredders are jammed and many are broken,

Employee time wasted and frustration outspoken.

“There must be a better way!” you say to yourself,

THERE IS! This is why we are introducing ourselves!

We are a locally owned company serving this area,

We can destroy your documents and end the hysteria.

We do on-site shredding, documents never leave your sight,

At 5,000 pounds per hour, we do shredding right.

The smallest shred size and a price to match,

And the best customer service is always attached.

We offer route service and one time records reduction,

And when we finish, we give a Certificate of Destruction.

It’s time to reveal, it cannot be left unsaid,

Our company name is……

On-Site Shred

281-292-2280

www.shreddinghouston.net

Happy Holidays!

use discount code 120910 and receive 20% off your total invoice – must book by 12/10/10