Pacific Northwest Shredding, Inc. Resource Center
Your one-stop for information.
When it comes to security and privacy issues, it pays to be knowledgeable. This page is designed to keep you up-to-date on current compliance issues and save you time by providing the information you need, all in one place.
Latest News and Updates
Doctors and doctor’s admins, this is for you! Learn more about the proper disposal of Patient Health Information (PHI) in your office and how Pacific Northwest Shredding can help: www.properphidisposal.net.
What to Shred
Any information you don’t want others to control including, but not limited to:
- Accounting
- Accounts Payable and Receivables
- Acquisition Strategies
- Addresses
- Audits
- Bank Account Information
- Bank Information
- Bank Statements
- Bidding Strategies
- Blue Prints
- Brochures
- Brokerage Account Information
- Budgets
- Building and Computer access Codes
- Business Plans
- Cancelled or Blank Checks
- Classified Documents
- Client Lists and Files
- Company Expansion and Reduction Plans
- Consumer Information Payroll Records
To Shred is The Law
There are several laws that require businesses to destroy rather than simply discard information. These laws have been established in an effort to protect the privacy of patients and consumers. At the same time, those laws protect the businesses that serve them. By utilizing the professional on-site shredding services of Pacific Northwest Shredding, Inc., you are ensuring that your business is compliant with both state and federal laws.
Washington Law: RCW 19.215.020
Destruction of information — Liability — Exception — Civil action.
(1) An entity must take all reasonable steps to destroy, or arrange for the destruction of, personal, financial and health information and personal identification numbers issued by government entities in an individual's records within its custody or control when the entity is disposing of records that it will no longer retain.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), is a United States federal law that requires health care organizations to “maintain reasonable and appropriate technical and physical safeguards to prevent intentional or unintentional use or disclosure of protected health information.” Protected Health Information (PHI) includes patient medical records, patient logs, insurance, billing, or any personally identifiable health information. Also, with the recent HITECH rule in effect, compliance and security of such Patient Health Records and Information is crucial for innovations and organizations into the future. See Protecting the Privacy of Patients’ Health Information.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Financial Modernization Act of 1999, also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act), protects the privacy of consumer information held by financial institutions and requires that consumers receive privacy notices that explain the institution’s information sharing practices. The Act also provides consumers with the right to limit the information that can be shared. See The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act: The Financial Privacy Rule.
The FACTA Act
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, 2003 (FACTA), was enacted in December 2003 with more specific document destruction rules coming into effect on June 1, 2005. FACTA amended the existing Fair Credit Reporting Act providing consumers, companies, consumer reporting agencies and regulators with new tools to expand consumer access to credit, enhance the accuracy of consumer financial information, and help fight identify theft. FACTA is administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). See Disposing of Consumer Report Information? New Rule Tells How.
The Red Flags Rule: is one of the 19 provisions of the FACTA, maintaining the privacy of information, by diminishing identity theft.
- Under the law, almost 40% of U.S. organizations are required to develop an ID Theft Prevention “Program”, which must be signed off at the very top management of the organization.
- Being out of compliance with the RFR is an infraction comparable to jaywalking.
- According to the FTC, approximately 11 million businesses must comply with the law.
- Compared to HIPAA, the RED Flags Rule impacts considerably more organizations. The American Hospital Directory lists 6,000 hospitals. The Red Flags Rule affects 11 million organizations.
- The RFR is consistent with one of NAID’s primary strategic initiatives: to get organizations to take a comprehensive look at their destruction needs.
- If your organization falls under the coverage of the RFR, you may already have policies and procedures in place or an Identity Theft Program already in use.
- PNS, Inc. can seamlessly tie into your program with secure and certified document destruction shredding services.
*If your organization is not fully set up for compliance, or is in need of assistance regarding these Laws in effect, PNS, Inc. can lead you in the right direction for your Policy and Compliance standards to be met. Please call to find out more information regarding this topic. Or read more here on how we can implement Policies and Procedures with our Information Destruction Compliance Toolkit (IDCTK), accredited by Naid AAA Certification and training.
Please stop by often, as we update frequently. Have specific questions? Call our Seattle office directly: (206) 322-8461.
Other Resources
- .Get Serious About Paper Record Destruction 153KB PDF
- Information Destruction Programs: How You Can Defend Them and They Can Defend You 103KB PDF
- Why Small Offices Should Use a Shredding Service 1.85MB PDF
Pacific Northwest Shredding, Inc.
The most trusted, secure, compliant and cost effective mobile shredding services available in the Seattle-Tacoma area and throughout King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties.
- PNS, Inc., is
NAID AAA Certified - The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) enforces the highest standard of security for document destruction companies. NAID ensures all procedures surpass strict security guidelines before they grant certification.
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Pacific Northwest Shredding, Inc.
Contact e-mail Mark Guarin MamonPhone (206) 322-8461
Fax (206) 322-8463 Address
P.O. Box 84412, Seattle, WA 98124-5712
