It’s a sad reality that some businesses will not survive the COVID-19 crisis. Others will have to reinvent themselves to stay afloat, moving to less expensive facilities to cut costs. Some businesses, having let their employees work from home during the shutdown, may find that setup sustainable and need to downsize their physical offices in preparation for a permanent shift to remote work. Business leaders are making a lot of tough decisions right now. If moving out of your current space is what’s best for your business, maintaining data security needs to be a top priority. We’re seeing a huge spike in data breaches related to the pandemic. No matter what’s next for your business, protecting your professional reputation requires you to be diligent about how you approach this.
Data Security for Closing Businesses
A business’s obligation to secure its data doesn’t end because the business is closing. Clients and employees are still entitled to have their data protected. Plus, any legislation that governs how your business handles sensitive data still applies even if you’re in the process of closing down. So if you’re closing or downsizing your business, maintaining data security has to be a top priority. There are a few elements to think about here.
First, how will you deal with all your paper files? The business owner will need to keep some essential documents, in accordance with your record retention policy. (Figuring out what to keep can be tricky when a business closes, so you may want to consult an employment attorney for specifics.) After identifying the essential records to keep, there may be mountains of obsolete paper files left in your cabinets. Shredding is the only appropriate destruction method for those files.
Next, think about all of the other sensitive devices and materials on your premises. We’re talking about anything that you wouldn’t want your competitors or hackers to access. This might include proprietary or off-spec products, thumb drives, employee ID badges, payment cards or really anything that can be used to hold data. None of these items should be left in trash cans or recycled. Like your sensitive paper files, they should all be shredded to eliminate any chance that they’ll be accessed by others in the future.
Finally, don’t sell any data-storing electronics. This may seem like an easy way to recoup some of your losses, especially if you’re trying to find more money to pay your employees. Electronics like copy machines and hard drives hold onto more data than you might realize, even if you think you’ve wiped them clean. They could retain records of financial documents or employee Social Security numbers. Selling these devices for quick cash is like turning all that data over to a stranger.
Cleaning Out a Closing Business
Data security is just one concern when you’re closing down an office or warehouse. Clearing out the space of larger items like furniture and fixtures is a big undertaking. It may be especially tough during the pandemic because you want to limit how many people are on the premises; meanwhile, you’re in a hurry to clear the space so you can stop paying for it.
The solution is to bring in a professional crew to do a quick and efficient clean-out. Our sister company Miller Recycling handles these jobs for businesses of all sizes and types. Our team will empty your space and responsibly dispose of whatever we remove. We even pay for scrap metal and other recyclable materials.
Northeast Data Destruction and Miller Recycling continue to operate as essential businesses. We’ll pick up anything you need shredded or recycled, letting you move on to the next chapter without worrying about any loose ends. We’ve implemented a number of safety protocols to protect the health of our employees and clients, and we’ll work with you to limit contact during the clean-out process.
We know this is a stressful time for many businesses. Northeast Data Destruction is here to make this transition period as painless and secure as possible. No project is too small, or too large. Call Northeast Data today to talk about data destruction and clean-out options.