As everything gets more expensive, we’re all looking for ways to cut costs. So if you’re looking at your current confidential data destruction pricing and wondering whether your business should save money by switching to the cheapest shredding service in your area, that’s understandable.
If you asked me, I would say: Yes, you might be able to save a few bucks by turning over your business’s private documents and other sensitive materials to a shredding vendor who offers you below-market prices. But I would also ask, do you know what you’re actually paying for when you pay for confidential data destruction?
It might help to understand the factors that really drive confidential data destruction pricing, including:
The size and scope of the job. Data destruction services use the same basic pricing structure as other service providers. The larger quantity of material you want destroyed, the lower the price you’ll pay.
Different types of confidential material require different handling. Destruction services will charge more to shred a box of hard drives than a box of paper. When a business needs to destroy defective or off-spec products, the cost of shredding and disposal will depend on whether the products need to be taken apart and separated into different material types.
Transportation also drives pricing for confidential data destruction services. The convenience of having materials picked up on demand is great, but customers pay extra for the labor and fuel costs required to securely transport confidential data to the shredding facility. The more that fuel costs, the more that shredders have to charge customers for pickup services.
Security measures. If a company that offers confidential shredding charges suspiciously low prices, ask yourself: Where are they cutting corners? Reputable confidential data destruction services prioritize security and use measures like locked GPS-tracked vehicles, 24/7 video monitoring of the entire facility, and locked access doors that keep unauthorized people out. Installing and maintaining a multi-layered security system is essential for protecting customers’ sensitive data. Shredding services that don’t spend enough money on security expose their customers to breaches.
Employee quality and training. Are you comfortable handing over boxes of your business’s most sensitive files and materials to an unvetted stranger on their first day at a new job? Because they have access to confidential data, shredding service employees should be thoroughly screened to weed out any candidates who might have criminal intentions or are generally untrustworthy.
A shredding service with lax hiring policies can save money by paying low wages to employees who maybe can’t get hired other places. You might not want those employees having access to boxes of your business’s old financial records or customer files.
Equipment quality. Not all commercial shredders are created equal. Cross-cut or strip-cut shredders cut material into very small pieces. But high-capacity confidential data destruction services like Northeast Data Destruction use pierce and tear shredders, which rip apart paper and other materials into tiny pieces that can never be reconstructed.
Using top-of-the-line industrial equipment can be more efficient and more secure compared to using cross-cut shredders or other less powerful equipment. High-capacity equipment is expensive to buy and maintain. Running industrial shredders also uses a great deal of energy, even when they’re the most efficient models available. High energy costs may raise pricing for data destruction companies.
Industry certification and costs. There are no federal or industry-wide certification requirements for shredding services. But confidential data destruction companies with rigorous standards can pursue NAID AAA certification. The International Secure Information Governance & Management Association operates the certification program, the trade association for the data destruction industry.
Destruction companies seeking AAA certification go through an extensive application and audit process. They must demonstrate compliance with all regulations and industry best practices, including having incident response policies in writing. Once certified, companies are subject to unannounced audits to ensure continuous compliance. A data destruction company’s record of NAID AAA certification is a good indicator of its trustworthiness and transparency.
Northeast Data Destruction provides confidential data destruction services for paper files, hard drives, off-spec products, and more. We’ve maintained NAID AAA certification since 2008, and our customers know that we prioritize service and security. You can see our security measures in person by arranging to witness the shredding of your business’s materials. I’m happy to answer questions about our pricing or anything else you’re wondering about confidential data destruction. Contact me today.