In business, protecting confidential information is important, and some businesses require more discretion than others when it comes to the disposal of sensitive documents. There are various ways that this is handled. Some companies purchase their own shredding machine and have employees shred things as they believe it is needed. But when you’re dealing with sensitive information, especially things like financial records, social security and account numbers, and even names and addresses, doing your own paper shredding may not be the wisest choice. Regular office machines don’t shred paper as completely as a professional service, and often skilled criminals are able to reconstruct important information. It can also be expensive and time consuming to use and service personal shredders, and when they are on the fritz, destroying documents becomes a challenge. Professional document and paper shredding companies serve a variety of purposes, so you can match their services with your needs and budget. You can choose between on-site destruction, off-site destruction, and a single use of professional services. Regardless of which method you use for your business shredding, or even your own personal shredding, it is important to work with a company that complies with HIPPA regulations in order to assure complete confidentiality. Employees should pass background checks, and be insured and bonded. The company should also carry its own impressive insurance policy, especially when it comes to identity theft. The safest option for document destruction is to have a paper shredding company come to your place of business. With this method, your company is provided with a shredding bin to put in your documents. Once a document is placed in these bins, they are irretrievable. The shred truck then goes to your site, and since the truck is the shredder, you can witness your documents being converted into piece so tiny that no one could reconstruct any information. Depending on your needs, this service can be set up on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly, or you can schedule a single occurrence. Some prefer to use off site services, where a document destruction company picks up your full shredding bin, and replaces it with a new one on a regular basis. Some companies will choose to have more frequent pickups of non-confidential materials that need shredding mostly for recycling purposes, and have a more secure bin serviced for sensitive materials. Many companies can shred non-paper documents, such as X-rays as well, and when you just want to keep documents in an offsite safe place, secure document storage is also available.