Committed To Protecting Confidential Information And The Environment
DID YOU KNOW? In 1988
(California vs. Greenwood) the United States Supreme Court overruled
the 1974 Privacy Act. This ruling makes your garbage public domain.
Thus, once it hits the trash anyone can legally remove information
out of your garbage can.
Identity Theft
The increasingly growing crime of Identity Theft in recent years has caused Federal and State Governments to mandate that personal information be properly destroyed.
Research shows that identity theft information is still largely gathered through paper based materials rather than electronic or internet sources.
Over 9 million people last year were the victim of identity theft because of the improper disposal of their personal information.
What Should You Shred ?
Anything you would not want in the hands of others.
Business - Trade secrets, personal client information, reports, payroll information, contracts, budgets, canceled checks, manuals, drawings, vendor records, supplier records, medical records, health records, employee records, safety records, product information, blue prints, advertising, inventory records, client list, etc.
Personal - Tax returns, insurance information, bank information, canceled checks, all financial statements, credit card statements, receipts containing credit card numbers or other personal information, medical records, wills, deceased information, etc.
California State Laws
California Civil Code (Section 1798) Requires businesses to take all
steps necessary to protect client information in their possession and
properly destroy such information through shredding, erasing, or
otherwise so that it is non legible once it is no longer necessary to
be retained.
California Senate Bill 1386 2003 Requires companies to disclose and notify consumers if consumer information maintained in their data files has been breached.
FEDERAL LAWS
Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) 2003 Effecting all businesses and persons who collect personal information for business purposes. Requires the destruction of all such information in electronic and paper form.
Economic Espionage Act(EEA) 1996Businesses or persons must protect all forms and types of financial, business, scientific, technical, economic, or engineering information in their possession in any format that is not known to the public.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act(GLB Act) 1999Requires the protection and proper destruction of all consumer information held by financial institutions.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPPA) 1996Requires health care organizations to have appropriate measures in place to protect patient medical records, patient logs, insurance, billing, and other personal patient information.
USA Patriot Act2001 Requires all businesses and persons to protect all information in order to deter and obstruct any act of terrorists.