When it comes to protecting your clients and employees from identity theft and making sure your company complies with state and federal privacy laws, shredding is a must. As a result, there’s no shortage of document shredding providers willing to destroy your information. But with so many options, it can be hard to settle on one. The first thing you should consider is whether a provider offers off-site or on-site shredding. In this blog, we explain differences between the two.

 Off-site Shredding

With off-site shredding, your unwanted documents and files are collected from your business and transported to a shredding plant for destruction. A strict chain of custody is maintained while your documents are collected, transported and destroyed. You can have your provider deliver secure collection containers to you in advance of your shredding project. A screened, uniformed driver collects the documents from your filled containers and transports them in a GPS-tracked vehicle to the shredding plant. At the shredding plant, your documents are shredded into tiny particles. The shredded material is baled and recycled regionally. At the end of off-site shredding you’re given a Certificate of Destruction documenting the time and date of destruction.

On-site Shredding

On-site shredding, also known as mobile shredding, offers the same security and chain of custody of off-site shredding with one exception: your documents are destroyed at your business. At an appointed time, a specially-designed mobile shredding vehicle arrives at your office. The screened driver collects your documents and shreds them on the spot. As with off-site shredding, you are provided with a Certificate of Destruction.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing between an off-site or on-site shredding service is a matter of preference. However, when you choose a National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) AAA Certified shredding partner, you know that whether your documents are being destroyed off-site and on-site, you get the highest level of security and ethics in the industry. This is because for a shredding company to earn NAID AAA Certification, it must pass unannounced, ongoing audits that assess many aspects of operation, including:

• Employee screening processes
• Insurance requirements
• Written security policies and procedures
• Certified proof of shredding processes

If you’re more comfortable watching your documents be shredded, then on-site shredding is the right choice. If you’re short on time and prefer having your documents destroyed off-premises, then off-site shredding is for you. With a NAID AAA Certified shredding provider, both options offer a reliable privacy protection solution.

DeVries Business Services proudly offers off-site and on-site shredding services to businesses in Spokane, Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. To learn more about our data protection services, please call us at 509-838-1044 or complete the form on this page.