Author: Crown Information Managment

Are you aware of when your compliance policies need an update? It might seem like a straightforward question, but it’s crucial. Companies that neglect to update their policies, procedures, and plans risk regulatory violations—a potentially costly mistake. Outdated policies may not align with new laws and regulations, or account for new systems or technologies you’ve implemented, leading to inconsistent practices.

By establishing a regular review process, you provide your employees with clear and consistent guidelines, making it easier for them to handle sensitive information. This process also helps your team identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, allowing you to outline steps to mitigate risks. Additionally, setting clear team expectations fosters accountability. Your company can then continuously improve, adapting to new technologies and regulations as they arise.

To top it all off, consider enlisting the services of a certified information management company to help you establish a regular document storage and destruction schedule.

Tips for Reviewing Your Compliance Policies, Procedures, and Plans

Establishing a proactive review of your policies, procedures, and plans is the most effective way to remain compliant with laws and regulations. Your goal should be to get ahead of problems, not constantly react to events as they occur. Here are some tips to help you establish a regular review of your compliance program:

• Know when you should review your policies and procedures. The best time to do a review is once a year. This can be scheduled into the master corporate calendar, so all involved parties have a heads-up. Other times, it is crucial when there is an organizational change. For example, maybe your firm is undergoing an ownership or executive leadership change. Another vital time for review is when the laws and regulations change. Finally, if a policy violation does occur, you must conduct a detailed review without delay.
• Identify which policies and procedures may need to be updated. Reviewing your compliance policies and procedures does not immediately mean a policy revision is in your future. Sometimes, you will need a complete overhaul; other times, you may only need to tweak things. You and your team need to identify which ones must be addressed by answering a few questions:
  • Is the policy being implemented as intended?
  • Does the policy have the desired effect?
  • Are the policies and procedures current and relevant?
• Gather the right participants. You may have a small team doing the reviewing and others writing up the changes. You may need to enlist your company’s lawyer to ensure you are meeting current legal requirements.
• Document changes and proofread. Since those deciding on the changes may not be the same people writing the changes, document what needs to be fixed thoroughly. Once a draft is written, proofread for clarity, conciseness, and grammar.
• Talk with your document storage and shredding company. Some changes require the assistance of an information management company that can help with offsite storage and shredding services. They ensure your records are properly stored or destroyed according to your schedule and policies.

Make Compliance Policy Reviews Easier with Help from the Information Management Pros

Partner with Crown Information Management to take a proactive stance on your compliance program review. Our team is ready to assist you with establishing a retention and destruction schedule to help you remain compliant. We offer additional services to ensure you have what you need when you need it. Look to us for storage, shredding, and scanning services. Learn more when you call us today.

For experienced help with document storage, shredding, media destruction, and records management, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company.  

Information Management Companies Advise – Add Credit Checks for Your Kids 

It’s time for back to school! While the dog days of summer are in full swing, parents are helping their kids find school supplies, buy new clothes, and find their locker in middle school. Some kids have graduated high school and are heading to college for the first time. This is a busy time for families as they finish summer and prepare for fall. Some others are secretively excited about all the hustle and bustle…cyber thieves. They know parents are dropping hundreds of dollars on supplies, and new college students are getting their first credit cards. Many are going to be conducting their studies online, too. These are activities ripe for the harvest if you aren’t careful. Unfortunately, some kids will discover that their identity has already been stolen. You understand the benefits of shredding outdated documents and storing vital records securely for yourself. Now is the time to help protect your children from child identity theft.

Convenience and Compliance Solutions from a Trusted Shredding Company

With technology, many businesses have streamlined their documents by going paperless. Not all industries can do this, however. In particular, the legal and medical fields still have mountains of paper documents. These records contain personal identification, including account details, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. They shouldn’t dispose of paper documents in the garbage. That is a cyber criminal’s greatest wish and a company’s biggest nightmare. Utilizing the services of a professional document shredding and storage company is an excellent option. They can handle what you need quickly and efficiently, saving you time, money, and headaches. Having them located right here in Central Florida is the icing on the cake!

Keeps Things Tidy and Protected Before the Pros Pick Them Up

As a commercial enterprise, your company is tasked with a crucial role in correctly storing and protecting hard drives and other media with your customers’ personal information. This responsibility is not just to protect your reputation and remain compliant, but also to empower you in the fight against cybercrime. From time to time, it is necessary to have hard drives destroyed. 

Enhance Your Document Shredding Process to Remain Compliant

In today’s business world, regulatory compliance is more critical than ever. The laws and regulations constantly evolve, requiring companies to take extra steps to handle sensitive information correctly. As you consider your compliance program, one critical aspect is proper document destruction. Failure to dispose of documents securely not only places your reputation at risk but could also lead to hefty fines and legal consequences. Your company may house personal customer data, confidential business information, or industry-specific records that must be destroyed. Why not make it easier on yourself and your team to know you have correctly handled all those documents? Using the services of a professional shredding company is vital to successfully following the requirements of regulatory compliance.

Helpful Tips from a Professional Information Management Team

Decades ago, you didn’t need to be as concerned about losing your identity. It seemed that most thefts were of tangible assets. The advent of the internet and the ease of its use have made identity theft a lucrative venture for criminals. Why steal a car when you can buy a new one using someone else’s credit and name? Unfortunately, identity theft is big business and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. 

Hire Professionals to Shred or Store Documents

Summertime is a popular time for businesses looking to move to a new office. The weather is move-friendly, and more real estate choices become available as other businesses relocate. Moving is quite a mix of excitement and stress. There are loads of items on your list that need to be handled, such as signing leases, hiring moving companies, and packing all those paper records. During an office relocation, it’s common to purge old furniture, office supplies, and documents. However, the dumpster is not the best place for paper records. Criminals are known to dumpster-dive, and very often, they strike gold. Your trash may be their treasure. By taking the right steps to ensure safety, you can save time, money, and your business reputation. Using a professional information management company is an excellent choice for all your shredding, storage, and records management needs. They can handle your documents, hard drives, and office furniture destruction requirements.

Don’t Let Mother Nature Ruin Your Business – Seek Help from the Pros

Florida is known as the Sunshine State, but not far behind is its reputation for hurricanes. From June until November, the residents and guests of this lovely state watch the weather, waiting and preparing for the next storm to hit land. When there is a threat offshore, businesses and homeowners get ready by placing plywood planks over windows and hunkering down. The goal is to be prepared for the worst. Your Florida company will benefit significantly from preparing documents to stay secure in the next hurricane season. By using the services of an information management company, you can be at peace when bad weather hits. Services such as records management and media destruction ensure that documents are kept safe, secure, and dry. Recovering from a natural disaster is more manageable with help from the pros.

Include Document and Media Destruction for a Cleaner, Compliant Office

Many people take advantage of spring to air out their homes, dig through closets, purge clothing, and conduct a deep clean. The results are a refreshed and less cluttered home. Taking that concept into the office may result in a much more pleasant workspace where your productivity skyrockets, your mood improves, and you deliver an excellent impression to your clients. You’ll find you can get more done with less stress. Part of the spring cleaning you do in your office will include sorting through mounds of paper and extra digital media. As you prepare for a proper office clean-out, consider lining up the professional services of a media and document destruction company. Not only can they get rid of records safely, but they can also support your records management efforts in a secure environment, giving you the peace of mind that your sensitive information is handled with utmost care and security.