Whether for an individual or a business, there are many potential dangers of improper document destruction, according to Steve Sturgeon of Confidential Data Destruction Company in Santa Clarita.

A stolen credit card or bank account number on a document that was improperly disposed of can result in losses to occur in a very short period of time, Sturgeon said.

“You could lose money in the process, and it may take months, if not years, for you to recover that,” he said.

Businesses who are found responsible for improperly disposing of stolen information could face penalties ranging from $10,000 to a quarter of a million dollars depending on the size of the breach, Sturgeon added.

Related: Confidential Data Destruction Company In Santa Clarita Helps Protect Against Identity Theft

The Red Flag Rule recently enacted by the federal government requires businesses with three or more employees to follow certain provisions and procedures when it comes to document destruction.

“You need to ensure that you have a process internally as a small business to what you do with information,” Sturgeon explained. “And that includes an employee application with their information that shows where they worked, how long they worked there, what kind of money they made, social security number, background, references and other phone numbers.”

While a small company can use an office shredder, Sturgeon noted that the question is what is done with the material after it is shredded, and how long it takes for an employee or business owner to spend the time shredding the necessary documents.

“We shred a full box of paper in about a minute,” he said. “It would take a couple of hours for you to do that through a shredder.”

As a nationally certified firm, Confidential Data Destruction Company in Santa Clarita can provide businesses with on-site containers ranging in size that are secured with locks and other measures.

In addition, the company partners with the city of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station to put on a “Safe Shred” event for the community twice a year, and also works with mail centers that accept materials for destruction.

Confidential Data Destruction Company in Santa Clarita offers a number of data destruction services, including mobile document shredding, onsite shredding in Los Angeles, paper shredding in Santa Clarita and more. With services available throughout Southern California, the company handles a variety of media– from paper to electronics to plastics. A high level of security comes with all data destruction services to safeguard information, and the company is licensed, bonded and insured. Services are currently available through Confidential Data Destruction Company in Santa Clarita, as well as Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Confidential Data Destruction Company

28042 Avenue Stanford, Unit E

Valencia, CA 91355

(661) 257-9970