Data destruction has high stakes. Disposing of one piece of paper in the wrong way could trigger a devastating data breach. Putting obsolete hard drives in the trash could expose all your company’s confidential information to the wrong person. Because data destruction isn’t something you can afford to take risks with, we advise that you only entrust your sensitive data to a data destruction company that’s certified by the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID). NAID is the trade association for the information destruction industry, and sets the standards for businesses in this space. It awards NAID AAA certification to service providers that complete a comprehensive audit process. Data destruction companies can only be certified if they have adequate security protocols in place and are in compliance with all data security regulations.
Northeast Data Destruction is proud to have maintained our NAID AAA certification since 2008. Companies must renew their certification annually and are subject to surprise audits, which means we’ve consistently met NAID’s high standards year after year.
Why NAID Certification Matters for Data Destruction Companies
NAID AAA certification is voluntary. Data destruction companies that seek certification must complete a months-long audit process, including a complete inspection of their facilities. NAID auditors review every element of a company’s operations. They inspect destruction equipment, review access procedures, assess operational security and pore over a company’s employee records and confidentiality agreements. Certified companies must also provide written policies that address security, employee training and regulatory compliance.
Once certified, companies are audited on an ongoing basis to guarantee continued compliance with all of NAID’s requirements. It’s a lot of work, but maintaining NAID AAA certification is worthwhile for us; we know how much it matters to our clients that we’re certified. Here are just a few of the reasons why.
Certification is a legal requirement for certain clients.
Maintaining our status allows us to keep serving our most security-conscious clients. Many government agencies will only do business with data destruction companies that have NAID AAA certification. The same goes for many organizations that handle healthcare records and must comply with the HIPAA Security Rule. Suppose your business is required to follow industry-specific regulations or state or local laws about destroying private data. In that case, you may also be required to work with a certified data destruction provider. Some organizations also have language in their data destruction policies about only working with certified providers.
Certification means employees are rigorously tested.
We know and trust our employees, but we know that you don’t have that same level of confidence in people you’ve never met. Entrusting strangers with your confidential data is understandably nerve-racking. In companies that seek and maintain NAID certification, all employees undergo comprehensive background checks and drug testing. Random testing continues even after employees pass the initial screening.
Certification ensures companies are always audit-ready.
NAID performs both scheduled and unscheduled audits. This means that certified companies can’t afford to let their standards drop at any point. Just as your favorite restaurant must stay ready for a surprise health inspection, your NAID AAA certified data destruction company must stay ready for a surprise audit. The fact that an auditor could stop by on any given day requires us to maintain the highest security standards every day.
Certification demonstrates a commitment to excellence.
The NAID AAA certification process is neither quick nor simple. It requires a lot of time, effort and cooperation for a data destruction company to pull together all necessary documentation and to be audited. There are also some significant annual fees associated with certification.
Frankly, it’s much easier and cheaper to skip certification. Data destruction companies don’t have to be certified to operate, after all. For me, choosing to complete this process and to renew our certification every year is a way for us to show how seriously we take our clients’ data security. We hold ourselves to the highest standard because we know that none of our clients can afford a data breach. We’re proud that our security protocols, our facilities and our team can withstand even NAID’s rigorous testing.
I welcome any questions you may have about our NAID AAA certification or our secure data destruction services. Contact me today!