XpressShred is proud to be an AAA NAID Certified provider for the destruction of documents, hard drives and magnetic media (tapes, dvds, cds, etc.)  What is AAA NAID Certification?  NAID (National Association for Information Destruction, Inc.) is the trade primary association for the information destruction industry.  To be NAID Certified, XpresShred must adhere to and comply with strict operational and ethical standards.  XpresShred offers offsite services as well as mobile shredding services, which are both AAA NAID Certified.

As part of NAID certification, NAID sends security consultants on an announced and unannounced basis to audit our procedures and records.  They follow our shred trucks and collection trucks on the road as well as our warehouse.  In the 2016 calendar year alone, XpresShred has already had two of these types of audits.  One audit was announced, so we knew ahead of time….the other was unannounced, so it was a random visit. This third party review is the equivalent of the “gold standard” for businesses or individuals looking for document destruction services, hard drive destruction services or media destruction services (such as tape destruction services) who’s processes have passed NAIDs specific and strict guidelines.  You know that if you are dealing with AAA NAID Certified shredding company that you have a committed and professionally run organization.

Some of the Certification requirements include:

Employees

• Employees must have a 7 year background and employment history search
• Employees must pass routine drug/alcohol screening upon hire and thereafter
• Employees must sign Confidentiality Agreements
• Employees must review and pass a NAID Access Training Program annually
• Employees must read/review annualized and updated Operational Policies & Procedures
• Employees must wear ID Badges and Uniforms

Warehouse

• Our warehouse/office facility is secured and all entry points are under video surveillance for at least 90 days in arrears
• All entry points are secured 24 hours a day
• Our warehouse is alarmed during non business hours
• Offsite shredding material from security containers must be shredded within 3 business days of receipt
• Offsite shredding material from one time purges must be shredded within 15 business days of receipt
• All visitors entering the warehouse must sign a log and be escorted

Recycling

• Shredded paper must be responsibly disposed of in a manner that it can not enter the public realm and be reconstituted. In addition it can not be used for packing material or animal bedding. (XpresShred recycles 100% of our shredded documents)  Our shredded documents are transported directly to pulping mills which recycle the shred into tissue paper, toilette paper and paper towels.
• Shredded Hard Drives must be disposed of by a ISO 14001:2004 Certified Recycler. Our recycler melts down the medals for reuse.

Compliance

• XpresShred must have a written policy in place regarding notification to customers of a potential security breach.
• Customers must be provided with a receipt or Certificate of Destruction indicating the type and quantity of materials as well as the method of destruction.
• All materials for destruction are either attended at all times by XpresShred employees or are physically secured from unauthorized access while in our custody and before they are destroyed.
• All materials for destruction are securely contained during transfer from Customer’s custody to our vehicles to prevent loss from the wind or other atmospheric conditions.
• All vehicles used for transportation or destruction have lockable cabs and lockable, fully enclosed security containers.
• Particle size on all shredding is monitored and logged on a monthly basis to ensure compatibility with NAID standards.
• Hard Drive destruction must have specific written procedures verifying the process of destruction and the recordation of serial numbers.
• Shredded materials are viewed and measured on a monthly basis to confirm particle size

Most importantly, don’t be fooled by shredding companies that say they are NAID members…as if to imply that they are AAA Certified.  Anyone can be a member, but not everyone can pass the strict standards to become AAA NAID Certified.  XpresShred proudly displays this symbol on our website and documentation.

Please go to www.xpresshred.com to learn about all of our services.

XpresShred has been buying archived X-Rays for the last 5 to 6 years. XpresShred utilizes the secure handling methods that we use for our core document destruction business. X-Rays are picked up at our customer’s locations throughout Colorado and our bordering states, in our secured vehicles. We sort the X-Rays according to their silver content at our secure shredding facility in Denver, CO. From our secure facility, the x-rays are transported directly to our refiner, Commodity Resources & Environmental. CRE is the largest scrap metal refiner in the Western United States and is R2 and ISO 14001 certified. As a scrap metal dealer, CRE also buys and recycles our scrap hard drives.

As a leading shredding company in Denver, XpresShred is in the unique position of not just buying archived x-rays, but we can also shred charts and jackets in our secure facility. We typically do this at no charge for our archived x-ray clients.

XpresShred receives calls from medical practices throughout Colorado and our bordering states which include but are not limited to New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming. From speaking with our clients or prospects, we have often learned that there is a preponderance of dealers based in Florida and Texas….and they are typically “too good to be true.” Many customers and clients have been left without payment.

X-ray recycling has become more regulated with the final rule for HITECH which was published earlier this year.  The penalties for improper disposal of jacket and reports, as well as information bearing film have been established and enforcement detailed to the Office of Civil Rights and state attorney generals.  Negligent disposal has serious financial penalties which will start to be assessed this year.

It is more critical than ever that the diligence must be employed in the selection of a responsible and certified partner when recouping the value contained in archived x-rays.  Many operators are only interested in the film and will expect the provider to separate the film from the jackets, thus incurring additional labor or will take the jackets and reports and then dispose of them in a landfill.  This will expose the provider to breach notification requirements and penalties, even if a BAA (Business Associates Agreement) is in place with the recycling entity.  The risk to entities that possess confidential information that is contained in x-ray jackets and reports has increased and steps need to be taken to ensure that they are working with a responsible, certified business partner in the recycling of X-rays or performing shredding of any confidential information.  A Certificate of Destruction should be obtained and kept on file to demonstrate that the policies and procedures for the protection of PHI (protected health information) are being observed and followed.

As a highly reputable resource for document shredding in Colorado, XpresShred has become very popular among small to mid-sized businesses. Medical offices, legal offices and retailers love the convenience and security that locally owned XpresShred provides with document shredding in Denver metro area.

However, document destruction isn’t just for businesses; it’s for everyone. Homeowners, renters, workers, parents, adult children…everyone needs to shred documents at various times in order to maintain information security and privacy. The problem is that these people may not have the ability to desire or ability to invest in routine paper shredding services. Fortunately, this is a problem with a very easy solution.

In fact, there are three shredding options that everyday folks can choose from. The first is to take advantage of a one-time shredding appointment. XpresShred can provide mobile shredding in Denver and throughout the Front Range, by going to a customer’s home and shredding right outside the door. Customers can watch the entire process, to be sure that their information is being protected until it has been completely destroyed.  Alternately, we can dispatch one of our secure trucks to pick up the materials for transport to our plant for shredding.  With each approach, a Certificate of Destruction is issued after the paper is destroyed.  XpresShred is AAA Certified and audited for compliance by the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID).  You can rest assured that your documents and sensitive materials are protected and destroyed according to industry standards.

Another option is to drop papers off at our offices.  You can visit our plant in Englewood for quick, affordable drop off document shredding. You are welcome to witness the destruction, if you would like.

For a one-time shredding appointment outside your home, call XpresShred at 303.592.6000, and for easy drop off shredding drop by our plant between 8:00 and 4:30 from Monday through Friday.  You don’t need an appointment or advance notice.  We are ready to assist you when you are ready to come by.

Flash-based memory has been an industry standard for years, but solid state drives (SSDs) are just now becoming affordable enough to be included in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices. Solid state hard drives replace the traditional hard disk drive for storing system data as well as user documents, settings, records and credentials. SSDs are particularly favored in mobile computing, due to their resilience, portability and low voltage. The Macbook Air, the Acer Chromebook and the Samsung Chromebook all rely on flash storage, for example.

But in spite of the benefits for the end user, solid state drives pose new challenges for data security. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego concluded that securely erasing data on SSDs is more difficult than on HDDs for a number of reasons. Important takeaways from the study include:

Solid State Drives Cannot Be Degaussed

For years, degaussing was an important and highly effective step in decommissioning hard disk drives and other digital media. Data on tapes, hard disk drives and floppy disks is stored magnetically. By exposing these types of media to high powered magnets, the data was erased or rendered completely irrecoverable. Because of the way solid state drives store data, degaussing has little to no effect on them. This includes mass solid state drives as well as USB thumbdrives, SD cards and USB pendrives.

Secure Deletion Methods on SSDs Don’t Always Work

Software-driven secure file deletion methods usually involve formatting a drive and then overwriting the sectors where the data was stored. This process is sometimes called sanitization. You can buy commercial software that automates this process for you. The problem is, however, that the majority of such software is designed for hard disk drive interfaces. Because the method by which solid state drives physically write data to sectors is fundamentally different than the read/write process for hard disk drives, the secure deletion commands often do not get carried out properly for SSDs. To remedy this issue, some SSD manufacturers have implemented built-in secure erasure mechanisms for SSDs, but even these features are less than 100% reliable.

Physical Destruction is Still the Most Secure Practice

As with hard disk drives, solid state drives that contain or formerly contained sensitive information should be shredded. The lesson that we’ve learned from other types of digital media is that no file can truly be eradicated electronically. With today’s technology, this is even more true for solid state drives.

What is card skimming?

‘Card skimming’ is the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strip of a credit or ATM card. It is a more direct version of a phishing scam.

The scammers try to steal your details so they can access your accounts. Once scammers have skimmed your card, they can create a fake or ‘cloned’ card with your details on it. The scammer is then able to run up charges on your account.

Card skimming is also a way for scammers to steal your identity (your personal details) and use it to commit identity fraud. By stealing your personal details and account numbers the scammer may be able to borrow money or take out loans in your name.

Warning signs

• A shop assistant takes your card out of your sight in order to process your transaction.

  Handheld Skimmer

• You are asked to swipe your card through more than one machine.
• You see a shop assistant swipe the card through a different machine to the one you used.
• You notice something suspicious about the card slot on an ATM (e.g. an attached device).
• You notice unusual or unauthorized transactions on your account or credit card statement.

Protect yourself from card skimming

• Keep your credit card and ATM cards safe. Do not share your personal identity number (PIN) with anyone. Do not keep any written copy of your PIN with the card.
• Check your bank account and credit card statements when you get them. If you see a transaction you cannot explain, report it to your credit union or bank.
• Choose passwords that would be difficult for anyone else to guess.

As well as following these specific tips, find out how to protect yourself from all sorts of other scams.

Do your homework

If you are using an ATM, take the time to check that there is nothing suspicious about the machine.

Ask yourself if you trust the person or trader who you are handing your card over to. If a shop assistant looks like they are going to take your card out of your sight, ask if it is really necessary.

Decide

If an ATM looks suspicious, do not use it and alert the ATM owner.

If you are in a shop and the assistant wants to swipe your card out of your sight, or in a second machine, you should ask for your card back right away and either pay with a check or cash, or not make the purchase.

Report them

If you think you have seen a card skimming scam, you should contact the bank, credit union or credit card provider that has been targeted.

If you think your card has been skimmed, contact your bank or credit union immediately to report it.

Mailings for unsolicited offers of pre-approved credit cards present a significant risk to identity theft if they fall into the wrong hands. Applications are completed under the name of the person identified and the address is changed so that the bills are sent to a different address. The victim, in this case, may not find out about the identity breach until the collection agencies start to contact them. Another significant risk area is Dumpster diving. Thieves simply search trash for important information and use the data to steal the identity of the target.

Shredding mail and documents that contain sensitive information is a recommended way to reduce the chance that your identity may be stolen. All documents that contain personal information such as social security numbers, address, billing statements or tax information should be properly disposed of. Shredding documents not only reduces that chance of identity theft, it also is environmentally sound, since all of the shredding materials are recycled.

Identity theft can be an exhausting problem to rectify, identity theft prevention is best. Police reports, notification to credit bureaus and repairing the damage done can take a significant amount of time to fix. In the meantime, bill collectors and denial of credit are very frustrating and difficult matters to handle. Therefore, it is important to take the proper precautions with identity information, such a shredding properly, which will reduce your exposure to being a victim of identity theft.

Everyone has turned on the local news to see some local company that improperly discarded client’s files in the dumpster.  Most of the time it is an employee who did not receive the proper training.  Another poor business practice is recycling without destroying.  We see it on a daily basis.  Loading docks all over the city with unlocked recycling bins waiting for pick-up.  These recycling bins are filled with company proprietary information along with their client’s personal and confidential information.  Any individual walking the street has complete and legal permission to rifle through these containers and take whatever they find.  That is not the only risk.  You need to think about what the recyclers do with the contents of those bins.

Recyclers tell their clients that when paper is recycled it is destroyed during the process.  This is true.  What recyclers do not tell their clients is the route the paper takes to be recycled.  Recyclers will send their transfer trucks around the city to collect paper deposited in their containers.  The transfer trucks return to their facility where they unload the paper into the balers.  Information is baled fully intact and staged for shipment.

China and Mexico are the largest purchasers of raw material to be recycled.  Those bales with company and personal information land on the docks of foreign countries perfectly intact.  You are probably saying “there has to be laws against such things!”  We have many laws on how sensitive information is to be maintained and destroyed.  From HIPAA, Gramm-Leech-Bliley, FACTA, Sarbanes-Oxley and HITECH, regulators have worked hard to protect the consumer.  The fact is that many companies believe they are destroying because they have not been given the correct information in regards to recycling.  There are plenty of good companies for Denver shredding services.  Please visit http://www.naidonline.org/ to find a directory of companies.  Shredding is very cost effective and not only protects your company, but it protects your clients who have put their trust in you.

The data recoverability or the overall security of the hard drive destruction process is a factor that has become more and more important as the number of obsolete or replaced hard drives has grown.  What is sufficient to ensure that the data contained on a hard drive is unrecoverable?

It is useful to consider the mechanics of the way hard drive data is placed on the drive.  Each individual manufacturer of hard drives has their own process that controls the read mechanism and electronics of how data is actually written to the platters in the hard drive.  There is no defined standard that is used and each company utilizes the encoding that it deems optimal.  Furthermore, each model of the hard drive and even the firmware used on that model would have to be known in order to recover information.  This is contrary to the situation with a CD/DVD.  The data recorded is always recorded in the same manner.  Therefore, if you have a CD/DVD it can be read with the standard reader contained in every computer.  Contrast this with the hard drive.  Each hard drive is self contained.  It has the reader and firmware in the drive which is then used to recover the information that is written on the disks.

By shredding a hard drive and mixing the shred with other hard drive materials, the process of recovering data become virtually impossible.  A fragment of a drive would need to be recovered and then a process utilizing magnetic force microscopy (MFM) would have to be employed. This is the only process that does not require the platters of the hard drive to spin and the heads to read the data.  The MFM allows the data to be viewed in an encoded format.  However, the logistics are staggering.  The MFM takes a picture of each bit on the disk.  Each picture will be 100 bytes in size.  For a 20 Gig drive approximately 160 billion bits would need to be photographed.  Secondly, each photograph would need to be analyzed by an expert to interpret each bit.  Any error in reading or interpretation would produce meaningless data results.

In order to reduce the chance of recover-ability of data, a hard drive should be separated from the casing which contains the firmware and model information.  Alternately, the platters can be destroyed through a degaussing process whereby a strong magnetic field of sufficient force is directed on the hard drive.  Unfortunately, after degaussing, the drive appearance will remain the same and the hard drive would have to be tested in order to ensure the destruction of the data on the platter.  Physical destruction through shredding of a hard drive is the clearest means of visually ensuring that the data contained on the platters is unrecoverable on a practical basis.  The platters are physically destroyed and separated from the information bearing cases in which they were housed.  The resulting shredded materials make it virtually impossible to recover any data that is contained on them and the security of the information will be ensured.

The IRS reports that 641,052 taxpayers were the victim of identity theft in calendar year 2011.  The significant increase in identity theft of the past few years has overwhelmed the IRS.  TIGTA found that identity theft cases were not worked timely and it can take more than a year to resolve the problem for the taxpayer.

TIGTA recommended the following:

1) establish accountability for the Identity Theft Program;

2) implement a process to ensure that IRS notices and correspondence are not sent to the address listed on the identity thief’s tax return;

3) conduct an analysis of the letters sent to taxpayers regarding identity theft;

4) ensure taxpayers are notified when the IRS has received their identifying documents;

5) create a specialized unit in the Accounts Management function to exclusively work identity theft cases;

6) ensure all quality review systems used by IRS functions and offices working identity theft cases are revised to select a representative sample of identity theft cases;

7) revise procedures for the Correspondence Imaging System screening process;

8) ensure programming is adjusted so that identity theft issues can be tracked and analyzed for trends and patterns.

The IRS agreed with all of TIGTA’s recommendations.

Click on the following link to read the complete report:

http://www.treas.gov/tigta/auditreports/….

This is an example of another obstacle faced by those victimized by identity theft.  By consistently shredding sensitive, information bearing documents, the probability of having an identity stolen is reduced.  Further information can be obtained about shredding services at xpresshred.com.