June 1, 2008
Anything Houston, On-Site Shredding in the Press
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While our main focus is providing Shredding route service to clients, we offer one time clean outs, also known as “Purge” service. Purge service is for companies or individuals that have accumalated documents through the years and are at the end of their lifecycle. For guidelines on how long to retain your records, please click here “Record Retention Guidelines”. You should always consult with your legal council before shredding any documents. Most of our clients who request purge service have their records stored offsite at storage facilities. Though our trucks are over 35 feet in length, we have never come across a facility that can not accomadate us. To schedule a time for us to come out to your storage facility, please call On-Site Shred at 866-584-0670
May 29, 2008
On-Site Shredding in the Press
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The Woodlands, TX - Identity theft is a real and serious danger not only nationwide, but right here in our hometown. Most of us keep our garbage receptacles outside where they sit unlocked and accessible to criminals who wish to do us harm. The amount of information that can be obtained off junk mail is enough to do serious damage to our identities’. The amount of information that can be obtained off improperly disposed of financial documents can ruin a person’s life.
The Grogan’s Mill Village Association in conjunction with On-Site Shred will be providing an answer to combat identity theft. Starting June 7th, and continuing every Saturday thereafter, On-Site Shred will be placing a truck in the Grogan’s Mill shopping center from 9 am until 12 pm. Individuals can bring up to five boxes of documents to be destroyed. The price per box is $7.00 for a standard file box and $10.00 for a Banker’s box. This service is being provided to serve the public. Businesses wishing to destroy their documents are asked to please call On-Site Shred at 281-292-2280 and set a time for the truck to come to them. No need to remove paper clips, binder clips, staples, or rubber bands. Individuals are asked to remove documents from three ring binders and remove any plastic. All the shredding is done on-site allowing individuals to witness the destruction first-hand. 100% of the waste stream is recycled keeping The Woodlands clean and green! After you finish with your shred, stop by The Farmer’s Market for some great produce and specialty items, or visit the fine shops located in the shopping center.
May 27, 2008
On-Site Shredding in the Press, Shredder
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I see it and hear it every day, my shredder just went up in smoke! Many of the so-called industrial shredders don’t quite live up to their advertising. Shredders that cost upwards of five thousand dollars should have bullet proof warranties. But as many of our clients tell us, that is not the case. There are many advantages to using an on-site shredder. The first and foremost is no shredder equipment to maintain! Never again will you have to place a call to fix your shredder. Never again will you have to call a Tech out to clear a shredder jam. Nor will you have to worry about your shredder failing during a big purge. Shredders are designed to break.
Another advantage to using an on-site shredder is employee time. Using employee time efficiently is a must in today’s highly competitive society. Using a salaried employee as a shredder is probably not the most effective way that employee could be using their time. On the flip side you could stock pile your documents and have a low level employee be used as a shredder. Using a low level employee as a shredder probably isn’t the best idea either. Using this person as a shredder allows them access to the company’s most sensitive material. All you have to do is pick up a paper to read about a corporation facing criminal and civil lawsuits because some manager assigned the shredder duties to a low level employee who found it easier to deposit the records in the back dumpster.
Still another advantage of using an on-site shredder is security. A good shredder will destroy your documents on-site and issue you a certificate of destruction. Most metropolitan areas will have a few shredders to choose from. Choosing the right shredder is crucial. Choosing the wrong shredder could result in disaster. Always check to make sure the shredder belongs to a governing body like the National Association of Information Destruction. Also make sure the shredder is accountable within the community by being part of the Better Business Bureau. Make sure the Shredder is involved in the Chamber of Commerce, and make sure you ask the shredder for a list of references. If you follow these few guidelines, you will find a good shredder.
May 10, 2008
Houston
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On-Site Shred is pleased to announce that we are now offering X-Ray film destruction for the Greater Houston area. X-Ray film has unique properties that require special handling due to the plastic, metal and other hazardous material found in them. X-Ray film falls into the category known as “hazardous material” and cannot be disposed of in a landfill. Place a call to our office and we will send a destruction technician to retrieve the film. We will assume full liability for the materials after pick-up. Within days you will receive a certificate of destruction that certifies that all film has been destroyed allowing you to be in full compliance with HIPAA.
April 8, 2008
Anything Houston, Anything Texas
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Shred Old Documents At Tradition Bank
Proceeds From Shredding Event to Benefit D.A.R.E.
Katy, TX – March 17, 2008 – Tradition Bank’s Grand Parkway location will host a document shredding event Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to noon in support of D.A.R.E.
Documents will be shredded in the bank’s parking lot at 1515 S. Grand Parkway for a $5 donation per box. Residents are asked to place old documents for shredding in a banker’s box. Staples, paper clips and binder clips need not be removed from the documents. Plastic binders are not accepted. Assistance will be available at the event to help unload heavy boxes.
Established in 1983, D.A.R.E. has spread into 75 percent of U.S. school districts and more than 43 countries. The program consists of a police-officer led series of classroom lessons designed to educate children about the dangers of drugs and the importance of resisting peer pressure. Officers teaching D.A.R.E. classes receive 80 hours of training in child development, classroom management, communication skills and teaching techniques, and 40 hours of additional training to teach the high school curriculum.
Tradition Bank is locally owned and operated and has been serving Houston and its surrounding communities since 1963. With seven convenient, full-service banking centers, Tradition Bank offers a wide variety of state-of-the-art services and financial products to both individuals and businesses. Tradition Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and a Member of the FDIC. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.traditionbank.com or contact us at 713.666.2511.
April 7, 2008
Anything Houston
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On-Site Shred will be helping out KATY ISD D.A.R.E program. The event will take place at Tradition Bank at 1515 South Grand Parkway, Katy, Texas 77494 from 9 am – 12 p.m. on April 19th. .All proceeds will benefit the Katy ISD D.A.R.E. program. Come out and shred for a cause!
April 1, 2008
Anything Texas
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Select Medical to face charges….
It looks like the Texas Attorney General has started 2008 the way he ended 2007; prosecuting companies who fail to protect consumer’s information. Select Medical is the latest company to feel the wrath of the Texas Attorney General’s office. Select Medical is being charged with violating the State’s Identity Theft Protection Act of 2005. Thousands of documents were allegedly improperly discarded last October in Levelland Texas. The police department in Levelland discovered the documents strewn in and about dumpsters on the premises; if found guilty, Select Medical will face millions in fines. I’m always surprised to find many business owners do not know that there are actual laws on the books as to how they must dispose of business records. The following is taken from the Texas Business & Commerce Code pertaining to the disposal of Business Records (Chapter 35 and Chapter 48).
CHAPTER 35
§ 35.48. RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF BUSINESS RECORDS.
(a)In this section:
(1)”Business record” means letters, words, sounds, or
numbers, or the equivalent of letters, words, sounds, or numbers,
recorded in the operation of a business by:
- (A)handwriting;
- (B)typewriting;
- (C)printing;
- (D)photostat;
- (E)photograph;
- (F)magnetic impulse;
- (G)mechanical or electronic recording;
- (H)digitized optical image;or
- (I)another form of data compilation.
(1-a)”Personal identifying information” means an individual’s first name or initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following items:
- (A)date of birth;
- (B)social security number or other government-issued identification number;
- (C)mother’s maiden name;
- (D)unique biometric data, including the individual’s fingerprint, voice print, and retina or iris image;
- (E)unique electronic identification number, address, or routing code;
- (F)telecommunication access device, including debit and credit card information; or
- (G)financial institution account number or any other financial information.
(2)”Reproduction” means a counterpart of an original business record produced by:
- (A)production from the same impression or the same matrix as the original;
- (B)photograph, including an enlargement or miniature;
- (C)mechanical or electronic rerecording;
- (D)chemical reproduction;
- (E)digitized optical image;or
- (F)another technique that accurately reproduces the original.
(3)”Telecommunication access device” has the meaning
assigned by Section 32.51, Penal Code.
- (b)A business record required to be kept by state law may be destroyed at any time after the third anniversary of the date the record was created unless a law or regulation applicable to the business record prescribes a different retention period or procedure for disposal.
- (c)A state law requiring retention of a business record is satisfied by retention of a reproduction of the business record.
- (d)When a business disposes of a business record that contains personal identifying information of a customer of the business, the business shall modify, by shredding, erasing, or other means, the personal identifying information to make it unreadable or undecipherable.
- (e)A business is considered to comply with Subsection (d) if the business contracts with a person engaged in the business of disposing of records for the modification of personal identifying information on behalf of the business in accordance with Subsection (d).
- (f)A business that does not dispose of a business record of a customer in the manner required by Subsection (d) is liable for a civil penalty of up to $500 for each record. The attorney general may bring an action against the business to:
- (1)recover the civil penalty;
- (2)obtain any other remedy, including injunctive relief; and
- (3)recover costs and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in bringing the action.
- (g)A business that modifies a record as required by Subsection (d) in good faith is not liable for a civil penalty under Subsection (f) if the record is reconstructed, in whole or in part, through extraordinary means.
- (h)Subsection (d) does not require a business to modify a record if:
(1) the business is required to retain the record
under other law; or
(2) the record is historically significant and:
(A) there is no potential for identity theft or
fraud while the record is in the custody of the business; or
(B) the record is transferred to a professionally
managed historical repository.
(i) Subsection (d) does not apply to:
(1) a financial institution as defined by 15 U.S.C.
Section 6809; or
(2) a covered entity as defined by Section 601.001 or
602.001, Insurance Code.
Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 955, § 1, eff. June 15, 1989.
Renumbered from § 35.47 by Acts 1990, 71st Leg., 6th C.S., ch.
12, § 2(2), eff. Sept. 6, 1990.Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg.,
ch. 472, § 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1991;Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 735,
§ 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 935, § 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 935, § 2, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 935, § 3, eff. September 1, 2005.
Text of section effective until April 1, 2009
CHAPTER 48
48.102.BUSINESS DUTY TO PROTECT AND SAFEGUARD
SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION.(a)A business shall implement
and maintain reasonable procedures, including taking any
appropriate corrective action, to protect and safeguard from
unlawful use or disclosure any sensitive personal information
collected or maintained by the business in the regular course of
business.
(b)A business shall destroy or arrange for the destruction
of customer records containing sensitive personal information
within the business's custody or control that are not to be retained
by the business by:
(1)shredding;
(2)erasing; or
(3)otherwise modifying the sensitive personal
information in the records to make the information unreadable or
undecipherable through any means.
(c)This section does not apply to a financial institution
as defined by 15 U.S.C. Section 6809.
Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 294, § 2, eff. September 1,
2005.
Text of section effective until April 1, 2009
Source - Texas Business & Commerce Code
March 30, 2008
Paper Shredding
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Many of our customers at Shredding Houston use our service to come pick up their shredding as needed, so they don’t have to worry. Shredding at home can be a time consuming job, especially if you have a consumer grade shredder. It takes time to shred, and even more time to shred properly. Likewise, if you aren’t using a cross-cutting shredder, you aren’t destroying your personal papers securely. This is why so many people find Shredding Houston’s pickup service to be a faster, easier way to the piece of mind that comes when you know your documents are being shredded securely, and you are doing your best to protect you and your family against identity theft. 
However, from time to time, our customers have important papers they want to shred right away. For these instances, here are five great tips for secure paper shredding at home: 1. What types of documents you need to shred. It can be a little overwhelming to try and figure out just what needs to be shredded. The general rule of thumb is to destroy anything that contains personal information. This includes anything that is printed with your full name, address, social security number, birthday, credit card number, or email address should be destroyed. Also, you should always shred credit card offers, especially any that are pre-approved. Credit card offers tossed into the trash are one of the most common ways thieves commit fraud. 2. Don’t forget about personal correspondence. This is a big one. Many people don’t realize that any information an identity thief can gather about you from your trash can present a risk. If you are throwing away personal correspondence such as birthday cards, letters, or postcards, be sure to shred these first. Any details about the routines or personal habits of you, your friends, or family can help a thief steal your identity and commit fraud. Be safe, not sorry. 3. How to pick the right home shredder. When choosing a shredder, ask yourself two things: How much do I want to spend? How much shredding will I be doing at home? Ideally, you want to purchase a cross-cut shredder for at home shredding jobs. Cross-cut shredders cut your papers vertically and horizontally, offering you greater security. However, if you want to use a less-expensive model, you can go with a strip-cut shredder. These will cut your documents into strips, but are less secure, since a thief could piece documents back together if they are found in strips. If you use a strip cut shredder, buy one that cuts paper into very small strips, to make it more difficult for someone to recreate the original document. Likewise, you want to get a shredder than can handle your job. If you plan on shredding a few highly sensitive documents here and there, a smaller shredder should suffice. However, if you want to shred a larger volume of papers at home, you will need to invest in a larger, more expensive shredder that can handle more papers at once. If you don’t, it will take you much longer than you bargained for to shred your job. 4. Remove staples and paper clips before you shred! A lot of people forget to do this and find themselves sorry when their shredder jams or worse, breaks. Many of the newer, more expensive shredders will survive if you feed them staples and clips, but it’s better to remove them just to be safe. We hope these tips on home paper shredding are useful. For larger jobs in the Houston area, contact Shredding Houston and schedule an appointment for a representative to pickup your personal shredding at your home.
March 28, 2008
Document Destruction
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Don’t think you need to shred?
Read this story from one of our customers.
My mother was used to throwing our trash away in the trash cans outside our house, which then got tossed into the ubiquitous garbage dumpster on Monday morning when the trash man came. No one ever thought someone would actually go through the trash cans. It was a nice neighborhood. We weren’t throwing away anything special. And after all, why would she need to destroy anything before throwing it away? We had nothing to hide.
Okay, so maybe you were thinking about shredding your junk mail in 1996, but we weren’t. For it’s worth, I wasn’t even of legal drinking age at the time. Nor was I responsible for taking out the trash. But that’s not the point. The point is that someone went through our trash sometime in the summer of 1996, and wreaked havoc on my family’s credit and good name, not to mention finances.
Yes, it turns out whoever went through our trash was able to piece together enough information about our family to apply for a mortage, have their apartment heated and well-lit, get cable and internet, and go on quite the shopping sprees at both Macy’s and Nordstrom’s. This went on for a year. We didn’t find out until the fall of 1997 when a bill collector called. I answered the phone.
Me: “Hello, Miller residence.”
Caller: “Yes, we’re looking to speak with Joanna Miller please regarding an important business matter.”
Me: “Sure, may I ask who’s calling please?”
Caller: “CR Solutions.”
Me: “Um, may I ask what this is regarding?”
Caller: “We need to speak with Joanna Miller please, is she available?”
My mother always told me to get a name and reason for the call before passing along any calls to her or anyone in the family, but it was clear this guy wasn’t going to budge. It sounded suspicious and I had a bad feeling in my stomach when I ran upstairs to let my mom know someone was on the line. When my mom came down to take the call, she seemed confused, and a tad bit concerned. The look on her face said “Who could this be?” as she picked up the receiver, and I sat there in the kitchen the entire time, curious to find out just who in the world this suspicious man was and why he was calling for my mother.
Mom: “A Macy’s card? Good lord, what?? I don’t have a Macy’s card. You must have the wrong number.”
Caller: “No, ma’am, we have the right number. And you now owe $2000.00 plus $686.00 in late fees and charges, due immediately.”
Mom: “There’s no way. I don’t have a Macy’s account. Who did you say is calling?”
According to my mom, the mysterious man on the other end of the line then confirmed her social security number, home address, prior address, and maiden name. I watched my mom’s face turn white and she hung up the phone with a dazed look of confusion on her face.
Needless to say, my family’s identity had been stolen. The thieves had managed to gather my mother and father’s social security numbers, along with our address and other key pieces of information about our family from our trash. And we never had a clue until the day we received the call from the collection agency.
My parents wised up, after a little investigation, a review of their credit report, a couple hundred hours, an attorney, and several thousand dollars. The thieves were eventually caught. My parents started using a shredder to destroy anything that contained personally identifiable information before throwing away.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. Don’t become a victim. Check your credit report regularly, be careful with whom you share social security and account numbers, and shred ANY documents that contain personal info before tossing them into the trash. If you live in the Houston area, check out Shredding Houston, a Houston-based recycling service that comes to your residence or business and picks up your shredding, at your convenience, and destroys it securely. Find out how Shredding Houston can help protect your identity and good name by taking care of your shredding.
Read the rest…
January 30, 2008
Document Destruction, On-Site Shredding in the Press, Paper Shredding
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