End-of-Year Cleanout: Why Now Is the Best Time for Paper Shredding and Hard Drive Destruction
Ring in the New Year with Professional Shredding
Many companies begin reviewing their operations, updating records, and preparing for a fresh start as the old year draws to a close. It’s the perfect time to review the documents, hard drives, and digital media stored throughout your office. A year-end cleanout not only creates a more organized office but also helps reduce compliance risks and protect sensitive information. Shredding old files and securely destroying outdated hardware now can set your business up for a safer, more efficient new year.
Why Year-End Is the Ideal Time to Clean Out Old Documents
The end of the year is a natural time to conduct audits, have planning sessions, and record reviews. It also makes it easier to spot files that are no longer needed or have reached the end of their required retention period. By destroying outdated files, you and your team can stay better organized while ensuring that confidential information isn’t stored longer than necessary. It also reduces the risk of unintentional exposure, especially during annual transitions when more people are moving files or updating systems.
What to Shred or Destroy Before the New Year
A year-end review is an excellent opportunity to identify what should be securely destroyed. Many items that sit quietly in filing cabinets, boxes, or storage rooms can pose a risk, even if they are old and no longer required. You may want to schedule shredding or destruction services for items such as:
- Paper files with outdated personal or financial information
- Expired contracts or agreements
- Old employee records past their retention time
- Marketing drafts containing proprietary or client data
- Hard drives from retired computers
- External drives, USBs, and backup media
- Old ID cards, badges, or access cards
How Shredding and Hard Drive Destruction Reduce Risk
Cleaning out your old records isn’t just about organization; it’s about security, too. All those old documents and stored devices can become targets for data theft if they are not appropriately handled. Secure shredding and hard drive destruction help protect your customers, employees, and business by making the information completely unreadable and unrecoverable. Imagine the peace of mind you can enjoy!
Shredding and hard drive destruction reduce risk in several ways, including:
- Preventing data breaches caused by forgotten files or unprotected devices
- Ensuring outdated or broker hardware isn’t reused or accessed
- Supporting HIPAA, FACTA, and state privacy requirements
- Reducing human error during annual office transitions
Why Professional Destruction Services Matter
Attempting to destroy your sensitive documents and digital media in-house can lead to mistakes or incomplete destruction. Using a professional shredding partner, like Crown Information Management, provides secure processes, trained staff, and equipment designed to thoroughly protect your information. We offer both on-site and off-site shredding services, providing a safe and flexible solution for your needs. We will also provide you with a Certificate of Destruction as proof of proper handling and destruction. Our team is well-trained to understand HIPAA compliance, and we maintain a secure facility to protect your records. From shredding and storage to hard drive and X-ray destruction, we are ready to help. Call us today!
For experienced help with shredding, media destruction, scanning, indexing, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.