Author: Crown Information Managment

Safeguarding Your Business from the Risks You Can’t Afford to Ignore

A data breach can happen faster than you think, and the damage can last for years. You may be able to train your employees to change their passwords regularly or to exercise caution when opening links in emails. But it only takes a stolen hard drive, a misplaced file, or a document tossed in the trash to make life uncomfortable. A minor mistake can expose your business to significant risks, including legal costs, lost customers, and reputational damage. The good news is that many breaches can be prevented with proper safeguards in place. The most effective and affordable way to reduce your risk is to use secure, professional document shredding services.

Understanding the Real Cost of a Data Breach

Running a business requires having a handle on various aspects, and very few of us have a data breach on top of our to-do list. There are clients to help, employees to manage, and equipment to buy. However, if your company suffers from a data breach, everything else falls off the list while you try to recover. Understanding how and what happens can help you protect your business:

1. Things that happen during a data breach: When sensitive or confidential information is accessed, stolen, or exposed without permission, a data breach has occurred. The source of the data varies, including digital records, paper documents, and even old devices. Here are a few ways this happens:
   1. Paper files are thrown away instead of being shredded
   2. Old hard drives are sold or recycled without being wiped
   3. Employees leave sensitive papers unsecured on desks or in unlocked cabinets
   4. Lost USB drives or laptops fall into the wrong hands 
2. The financial costs of a data breach: Data breaches can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars. For small businesses, it can mean shutting their doors for good. The costs come from a variety of aspects, including:
   1. Legal fees and investigations
   2. Regulatory fines for violating HIPAA or FACTA laws
   3. Customer notification and credit monitoring services
   4. Downtime and lost productivity
   5. Loss of clients or contracts
3. Damage to your reputation and customer trust: There are many reasons to shred your documents. The main reason is that when customers trust you with their information, they expect you to protect it. One data breach can shake that trust and drive your clients to your competitors. You can rebuild your damaged reputation over time, with effort, and with the right financial investment. Even one incident can cause long-term harm to your brand and business relationships. It is especially serious for companies in healthcare, finance, real estate, or legal fields. They have regulatory mandates for privacy and confidentiality.

Prevent Data Breaches with Professional Shredding by Crown Information Management

No matter what industry you’re in, protecting company and client data should be a top priority. Crown Information Management offers professional shredding services to help protect your company. We provide hard drive and digital media destruction, as well as routine shredding services, with flexible pickup options including weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedules, to keep your shredding process on track. Whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding, we ensure your documents are securely handled.  After every job, you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof that your documents have been properly destroyed. 

For experienced help with media destruction, scanning, indexing, shredding, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you and help your organization avoid a data breach. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Your Tampa business handles sensitive documents, including employee records, customer files, financial reports, and vendor contracts. Over time, these papers pile up, and many companies aren’t sure what to do with them. You may be tempted to keep everything, including paper records, hard drives, and media. This isn’t the best choice for keeping your office tidy, alleviating stress caused by clutter, and avoiding the serious risks associated with holding onto outdated records. Instead, you need to keep certain records and securely shred the rest. If you haven’t thought about utilizing a professional document destruction company, there is no time like the present to do so!

Reasons to Destroy Documents in Your Tampa Business

It’s time to clear the clutter and reclaim your company’s storage space. Consider these reasons to develop a document destruction schedule and tackle those outdated records:

1. Prevent identity theft and data breaches: Old documents often contain private details, such as Social Security numbers, banking information, account logins, and customer data. Even something as small as a printed email can expose personal or company information. If you throw away documents instead of securely destroying them, they can be picked up by thieves, leaving you exposed to potential lawsuits. Items that should be shredded and not thrown away include employee records, client information, financial statements, and internal business documents.
2. Remain compliant with federal and state regulations: Certain industries are legally required to dispose of their documents securely. If you work in healthcare, the financial sector, or education, you must adhere to stricter privacy and security laws. These regulations fall under HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA. Failing to comply can result in hefty fines, legal action, and damage to your organization’s reputation. Shredding your records that contain protected or sensitive information ensures you stay compliant and avoid costly penalties.
3. Reduce clutter and free up space: When your office fills up with outdated paperwork, it becomes harder to stay organized. Take a look at your filing cabinets, storage rooms, and desks. They become overloaded, making it challenging to find the documents you need. When you destroy records that are no longer necessary, you and your team can save space, improve workflow, and keep only what is relevant to your job. A professional shredding company can help with one-time purge services and routine shredding services to help your office run smoothly.
4. Protect your business reputation: Your clients trust you to keep their personal information safe. If you fail to dispose of their data properly, that trust is broken. Even a minor breach could lead to negative online reviews, loss of business, or long-term damage to your brand. Professional document destruction tells your customers that you take their privacy seriously. That level of care builds trust with your clients, employees, and partners.

Choose the Right Shredding Partner in Tampa – Pick Crown Information Management 

Make secure shredding a simple task by partnering with Crown Information Management. We understand what you face as a business. We offer HIPAA, FACTA, and FIPA-compliant shredding and information management services to help you maintain security and compliance. We will handle your documents securely, whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding. We also offer hard drive and digital media destruction, ensuring no data can be recovered and misused by criminals. You’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof that your documents have been properly destroyed. 

For experienced help with shredding, scanning, indexing, media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Businesses handle a large amount of paperwork each day. There are tax forms and contracts, employee records and client files, all weighing down desks and filling up filing cabinets. Managing documents is part of your daily routine, but what do you do when the cabinets are full and your storage rooms are overflowing? How do you manage that chaos? The big question is: “Do I store this, or is it time to shred it?” Knowing when to retain and when to destroy documents securely can protect your company from compliance issues, security risks, and unnecessary clutter. Choosing a reliable and professional shredding company is the best way to ensure you’re doing what’s right for your business.

Tips to Help Decide What to Keep and What to Shred

Not every record should be kept for all eternity. But not all records need to be destroyed. Understanding the difference between when to shred and when not to will make your work life a little easier and bring you peace of mind. 

Consider these suggestions:

1. Know what should be stored and for how long: Certain documents must be kept for legal, tax, or operational purposes. In most cases, storing these files is not optional. It’s required by law. For those records you need to hold onto, keeping them in a secure, climate-controlled environment is essential.  Generally, the following documents need to be stored:
   • Tax records should typically be stored for seven years or as directed by your accountant.
   • Employee records may need to be kept for four years after the staff member leaves.
   • Contracts and agreements should be stored for the length of the contract and a few years afterward, or as suggested by your attorney.
2. Don’t keep it if you don’t need it. You take some risks when you store documents that are no longer required. Holding onto sensitive paperwork past its retention period can make your business vulnerable to identity theft, legal liability, and compliance violations. If you have documents that are no longer needed for legal, financial, or operational purposes and contain sensitive data, you should have them securely shredded. It’s also important to destroy digital storage media, such as hard drives, USB drives, and CDs. Simply deleting files is not enough to keep your data safe. Records you should destroy include:

1. Outdated customer or employee records
2. Old invoices or payment information
3. Expired contracts or proposals
4. Medical or legal files that have passed retention deadlines
5. Find the balance between storing too much and shredding too soon: You may easily fall into the trap of keeping everything “just in case.” However, over time, you will end up with clutter and expensive storage costs. On the other hand, you may get into a cleaning frenzy and shred documents too early before they’re legally allowed to be destroyed. That will put your business at risk. Partnering with an information management company can help you avoid these common mistakes and strike a balance in your document retention needs.

Storage and Shredding Solutions from Crown Information Management

Choosing between storing and shredding doesn’t have to be confusing. Crown Information Management offers comprehensive solutions for managing your paper and electronic records, including routine shredding, one-time purge services, secure digital media destruction, and document storage and indexing. Our services meet the highest security standards and include a Certificate of Destruction for your records. Don’t take chances with sensitive information when dealing with stacks of paper or aging hard drives. 

For experienced help with media destruction, scanning, indexing, shredding, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Updated: June 4, 2025

Don’t Let Mother Nature Ruin Your Business – Seek Help from the Pros

Florida is known as the Sunshine State, but not far behind is its reputation for hurricanes. From June until November, the residents and guests of this lovely state watch the weather, waiting and preparing for the next storm to hit land. When there is a threat offshore, businesses and homeowners get ready by placing plywood planks over windows and hunkering down. The goal is to be prepared for the worst. Your Florida company will benefit significantly from preparing documents to stay secure in the next hurricane season. By using the services of an information management company, you can be at peace when bad weather hits. Services such as records management and media destruction ensure that documents are kept safe, secure, and dry. Recovering from a natural disaster is more manageable with help from the pros.

Avoid Legal Risks by Partnering with a Trusted Shredding Company

Real estate is a fast-moving industry. Day after day, realtors close sales, manage rental agreements, show properties to new clients, and handle client files. In the middle of all these important duties is the most crucial one of all, i.e., protecting sensitive information. As a realtor, you manage more than listings and showings; you deal with contracts, applications, loan documents, copies of driver’s licenses, background checks, and banking details. Each document contains private information you are responsible for keeping secure. If these papers aren’t properly destroyed, they can put your clients and reputation at risk. Client trust matters more than ever in today’s competitive market. Protecting their personal information shows professionalism. That’s why having a reliable shredding partner is essential. 

Why a Professional Shredding Partner Makes Sense

Your reputation means everything when you are a real estate professional. To ensure your success and continued growth, it makes sense to partner with a professional shredding company because:

1. Data breaches aren’t just a big business problem: You don’t have to be a large company to become the target of a cybercriminal. In fact, small businesses and independent real estate offices are viewed as easy targets. All it takes is a misplaced document or an old file tossed in the trash, picked up and used for identity theft or fraud. To make matters worse, if the word spreads that your office failed to handle personal data correctly, your reputation can suffer irreparable damage. A data breach is a costly mistake for you financially and professionally.
2. Paper and digital files both need protection: You probably work with a mix of paper and digital records. You may print out contracts for signing or save scans of documents to your computer or cloud system. Both types need to be properly destroyed but tossing them into the trash or deleting a folder isn’t enough. Paper can be pulled from the garbage, and deleted digital files can be recovered.
3. Stay compliant with Florida regulations: You are responsible for following federal and state data privacy laws such as the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) and Florida’s Information Protection Act (FIPA). Both require businesses to safeguard and properly dispose of personal information. 
4. Take the guesswork out of document disposal: The professional shredding companies offer a variety of secure options, including:
   1. Routine shredding: You can set up weekly, biweekly, or monthly pickups.
   2. One-time purge projects: Clean out old files from years past with large-volume shredding.
   3. On-site and off-site shredding: You can watch while your documents are being destroyed at your location or send them via secured transport to the shredder facility.
   4. Digital media destruction: Get rid of any hard drives, USBs, CDs, and other digital storage, ensuring deleted data cannot be recovered.
   5. Certificate of destruction: Gain peace of mind and proof that your materials were destroyed properly.

Crown Information Management Helps Florida Realtors Stay Secure

Make document security simple by partnering with Crown Information Management. We understand the pressures you face as a realtor. We offer FACTA and FIPA-compliant shredding and information management services to help you maintain security and compliance. We will handle your documents securely, whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding. We also offer hard drive and digital media destruction, ensuring no data can be recovered and misused by thieves. You’ll also receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof that your documents have been properly destroyed. Call us today for more information.

For experienced help with scanning, indexing, shredding, media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Protecting Your Business Starts with Knowing the Risks

Businesses collect and store tons of information on paper and computers. These records may include employee files, customer data, medical records, or financial documents. The information must be handled carefully, but when the records are no longer required, you are responsible for properly disposing of this sensitive information. Failure to do so puts your organization at risk of data breaches, legal trouble, and loss of client trust. Understanding how to destroy records securely is just as important as knowing how to store them. You need a secure disposal method to protect sensitive information and comply with applicable regulations like HIPAA and FACTA. Choosing a professional records destruction and management company is the best way to help you maintain compliance.

Managing Paper Records Before and After Use

Like many others, your office may rely on paper records for essential files. HR forms, client contracts, medical charts, invoices, and more tend to pile up quickly and can cause an avalanche if you aren’t careful! Here are the best practices for handling paper records:

1. Current paper records: Keep paper records secure by using locked filing systems and restricting access to authorized personnel. 
2. Old paper records: Avoid dumping these documents in a trash can or recycling bin. Partner with a professional shredding service that offers on-site and off-site shredding and a Certificate of Destruction for your records. 

Managing Digital Records: More Storage Equals New Security Concerns

Electronic records are quickly becoming the norm for many industries. They are easier to store, search, and back up. Yet, they are not without risks. Consider these best practices for your electronic records:

1. Current electronic records: Utilize strong cybersecurity practices for your hard drives, servers, and cloud systems. Ensure you train your team regularly on how to keep data thieves away. 
2. Old electronic records: Simply deleting electronic folders from computers doesn’t mean the data is gone. Information can be recovered with the right software. Use a trusted hard drive and media destruction company to properly destroy hard drives, USBs, CDs, and other electronic media.

Why Both Formats Require Serious Security

The end goal is the same whether you store your records on paper or electronically. You must protect your sensitive information from exposure. Some businesses assume paper records are low-risk because they must be physically stolen and carried away. Others look at deleting files as an acceptable solution for digital data. Regulations like HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA require secure destruction of certain records. Failure to follow them could lead to costly fines or lawsuits. A professional information management company can help you alleviate many headaches by setting a clear retention schedule and destruction policy, advising on how long to keep each type of record, and when to destroy them securely.

Crown Information Management Handles Records Disposal for You

Handling secure disposal on your own can be time-consuming and stressful. At Crown Information Management, we offer full-service solutions for your paper and electronic records, including routine shredding, one-time purge services, secure digital media destruction, and document storage and indexing. Our services meet the highest security standards and include a Certificate of Destruction for your records. Don’t take chances with sensitive information when dealing with stacks of paper or aging hard drives. Secure disposal is part of innovative business management, and it’s easier than you think with Crown Information Management on your side.

For experienced help with media destruction, scanning, indexing, shredding, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.

Protect Your Business by Destroying Outdated Office Equipment

Office technology evolves rapidly and requires regular upgrades. We all love new, shiny phones, computers, and copiers. But what happens to outdated or broken devices? These machines store sensitive data and simply throwing them away can put your business at risk. Using professional destruction services ensures that confidential information stays protected and helps your company remain compliant with industry regulations. When you choose an experienced information management company, you can rest easier.

Office Equipment You Must Destroy

If you have any of these items, you can have them professionally destroyed, and when the job is done, you will have a Certificate of Destruction and reassurance that data is safely decimated:

• Computers and hard drives: Even if you have your hard drives wiped, data can still be retrieved by cyber thieves. Simply deleting files or reformatting a hard drive does not guarantee that the information is permanently deleted. Secure hard drive shredding physically destroys the device, ensuring that no data can ever be recovered. Certified destruction also helps you stay compliant with privacy laws like HIPAA and FACTA.
• USB drives and external storage devices: These tiny, yet mighty devices can store thousands of files, including company records and customer information. Think of this: a lost or stolen USB drive is an easy target for data theft. What’s worse is that even if the data is deleted, it can often be restored using special software. Shredding ensures the complete destruction of the device and information.
• Smartphones and tablets: Your company’s devices store thousands of emails, contacts, financial details, and login credentials. A discarded phone could provide hackers with access to private accounts, company emails, and sensitive business information. Resetting the device is not enough to guarantee peace of mind. Professional shredding handles the issue of how to permanently remove information, eliminating security threats.
• CDs, DVDs, and backup tapes: Outdated storage devices can still contain archives of company data, contracts, and financial reports. Your company may rely less on physical media, but old CDs and backup tapes may hold critical information that could still be exploited. Using professional shredding services makes sure any old data is eliminated once and for all.

Trust the Experts for Safe Equipment Destruction

Tossing old office equipment in the electronics waste disposal dumpster is not enough to protect your company. Sensitive data can be accessed even from outdated or broken devices. Crown Information Management offers secure and reliable solutions to help protect your business and ensure compliance. We offer hard drive and digital media destruction and routine shredding services with flexible pickup options, including weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedules, to keep your shredding process on track. Whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding, we ensure your documents are securely handled.  After every job, you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof your documents have been properly destroyed. 

For experienced help with media destruction, scanning, indexing, shredding, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Seasoned Experts Ready to Help Your Document Compliance Needs

Hospitals handle vast amounts of sensitive patient information daily. This information ranges from medical records to billing details, and you need to ensure the data remains secure. It is crucial to safeguard patient privacy and adhere to stringent healthcare regulations. Secure shredding and information management play a vital role in helping hospitals in Florida meet these standards, reduce risks, and operate efficiently. Having seasoned experts available to grab your documents and X-rays provides you with the confidence that none of your patient’s information will be compromised. 

What Documents and Media Need Secure Disposal?

Healthcare facilities must adhere to strict regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. These laws require medical facilities like yours to securely handle and dispose of patient information to prevent unauthorized access. You and your team generate a wide range of documents and digital media that require secure destruction, including:

• Patient medical records: HIPAA mandates that outdated or unneeded patient records be securely disposed of to prevent unauthorized access.
• Billing and insurance information: Financial and insurance records contain personal details that must be protected from identity theft.
• Employee and HR files: Hospitals and doctor’s offices handle sensitive employee information, which must be securely destroyed after the required retention period.
• Prescription orders and labels: Improper disposal of medication records can lead to misuse or fraud.
• Digital data storage devices: Hard drives, USB drives, and CDs storing patient or financial data should be destroyed using specialized shredding services to prevent data breaches.
• X-rays and other medical images: These contain protected health information (PHI) and must be securely destroyed once they are no longer needed. 

How Shredding Services Help Hospitals Stay Compliant

Hospitals and medical offices must implement a reliable shredding and information management strategy to protect patients’ data. Professional shredding companies offer many services such as:

1. On-site and off-site shredding options: You can choose between on-site shredding, where materials are destroyed at your facility, or off-site shredding, where documents are securely transported to a shredding facility.
2. Scheduled and one-time purge services: You can set up routine shredding schedules to manage your ongoing paperwork or arrange for a one-time purge to securely destroy larger volumes of outdated records. 
3. Chain of custody and Certificate of Destruction: You can trust a documented chain of custody and Certificate of Destruction to help you stay in compliance with HIPAA and other healthcare regulations.

Protect Patient Privacy with Crown Information Management

Hospitals in Florida must take every precaution to safeguard patient data. Crown Information Management offers HIPAA-compliant shredding and information management services to help your hospital maintain security and compliance. Whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding, we will handle your documents securely. We also offer hard drive and digital media destruction, ensuring no data can be recovered and misused by criminals. After every job, you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof your documents have been properly destroyed. 

For experienced help with scanning, indexing, shredding, media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.  

Seasoned Professionals Ready to Help Your Document Shredding Needs

When you look at your desk, what do you see? Are stacks of documents piling up on your desk? Is your filing cabinet overflowing with old records? If you’ve been thinking, “Do I really need to keep all of this?”—you’re not alone. It might seem easier to throw everything away, but that could put your business, employees, and clients at risk. Sensitive information is found in almost every industry, especially in the legal, financial, and healthcare fields. Just one misplaced document could lead to trouble. So, how can you figure out which documents need to be shredded and which can be safely tossed? The team at Crown Information Management can help you make the right choice.

Take the Business Document Shredding Quiz

Not sure whether a document should be shredded? Deciding can be tricky, especially when you’re unsure what types of information need extra protection. Here are a few simple questions to help you make the right decision about different documents:

1. Does it contain customer, employee, or patient information? If exposed, personal details like Social Security numbers, birth dates, and banking information can lead to identity theft.
   If the answer is yes, then shred it.
2. Is it a legal, financial, or tax document? Sensitive contracts, tax returns, payroll records, and financial statements can be misused if they fall into the wrong hands. Shred it once its retention period is up.
3. Does it relate to HIPAA, FACTA, or GLBA compliance laws? Industries like healthcare and finance have strict document retention and destruction rules. Failing to comply could result in hefty fines. Shred it when it’s no longer needed.
4. Is it a draft, internal memo, or meeting notes? These documents may seem insignificant, but they could contain confidential business strategies or proprietary information. Review before shredding.
5. Is it just outdated marketing material or general office paperwork? Flyers, brochures, and business reports don’t contain sensitive data. Recycle these instead of shredding.

Common Mistakes Businesses Make with Document Disposal

Even the most diligent businesses can make mistakes when it comes to document disposal. Here are a few common errors to watch out for:

1. Holding onto documents longer than necessary: Many businesses keep paperwork past its retention period, leading to higher storage costs and increased compliance risks. Create a shredding schedule to ensure timely disposal.
2. Throwing out confidential documents instead of shredding them: Dumpster diving is still a real threat. If you don’t correctly shred sensitive materials, they could be exposed to identity thieves.
3. Neglecting digital storage: Hard drives, USBs, and CDs can continue to hold sensitive data even after deletion. Simply erasing files doesn’t fully protect you. Proper destruction is essential.

Stay Secure – Trust Your Document and Data Shredding to the Experts

Document security doesn’t have to be stressful. Crown Information Management provides secure, reliable solutions to help protect your business and ensure compliance. We offer routine shredding services with flexible pickup options, including weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedules to keep your shredding process on track. If you have years of old files to clear out, our one-time purge service can assist with bulk shredding. 

Whether you prefer on-site or off-site shredding, we ensure your documents are securely handled. We also offer hard drive and digital media destruction, ensuring no data can be recovered and misused by criminals. After every job, you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction as proof your documents have been properly destroyed. 

For experienced help with scanning, indexing, shredding, media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Let our team work for you. We are a SOC1, NAID AAA, and PCI-certified company.