Gilmore Blog https://www.gilmoreservices.com/blog

Shredding documents and then recycling them doesn't really help the environment when you can't send those documents to a recycling facility that handles tiny pieces of paper. When you shred paper, it shortens the fibers and makes the paper just about useless. However, because we at Gilmore have so many documents – bales of them every day – we send the shredded documents to a special recycling plant that is able to use these tiny pieces of paper to make other products.

While aftereffects from Covid-19 aren’t over, many companies require their employees to return to office areas. What does that mean? It means that those employees who were working from home need document shredding solutions to ensure no company data or information is compromised. In addition, the company must have storage and other solutions ready to ensure a smooth return.

You’re ready to get back in the swing of things and are considering downsizing your home office. There are tons of things you can do, but first, determine why you are downsizing. Have your needs changed? Are you going back to the office? Businesses have a few challenges ahead as they determine whether they will start employing a full staff at the office, keep a rotating hybrid of employees, or want to go entirely remote. For employees, as you’re contemplating what’s next, consider the following:

During Florida's wet seasons, it's easy enough for businesses to get flooded, even those that are not in flood zones. You can save your clients' documents by taking the steps to go paperless or, at the very least, by using a document storage and scanning service. When you decide to go paperless, that means that you will probably have to scan hundreds or thousands of documents that have not reached the end of their retention time. It sounds like a big chore that most would rather ignore.

With identity theft more prevalent than ever and more and more companies going fully digital, the risk of customer data getting into the wrong hands is even higher. Most companies have good security, but they don't think about letting data on old hard drives getting into criminals' hands. 

Although many offices have resorted to going full-paperless, there are still many businesses that have not taken the time to assess their document storage protocols. Having a professional document storage company you can tap into to assist in protecting sensitive data is key. Why is document storage so important?

People are often at one end of the spectrum or another – they either keep tax records forever or throw them away as soon as they do their taxes. If you're in the former category, it's time to go through all of those old records and shred those you don't need to keep. If you're in the latter category, you need to keep your tax record for up to seven years.

A hard drive is a particularly valuable item to a criminal. Whether it starts as an idle curiosity or a full-fledged identity theft scheme, hard drives contain much information that people would prefer to keep private. If you own a business, it's up to you to keep your customers' information from falling into the wrong hands. The ripple effects of just one identity breach can branch into areas of people's lives that they may not have even realized were possible. Merely wiping a hard drive can't always do the job, and this is a common fallacy that can land people in hot water. Real hard drive destruction takes the whole process a step further, so you're assured that all the data stored on that drive is gone forever. 

Confidentiality in the workplace has always been important, but modern offices have complicated the status quo. With every technology upgrade, the workforce is forced to adjust to new procedures and expectations. New workplace laws come out to set the standards for businesses and threaten serious penalties in the face of violations. As much work as it is though, confidentiality needs to take priority. The loss of information can mean anything from legal hassles to a complete shutdown of a business. To keep your livelihood protected, here are five tips to getting it right.

In 1955, Jim Gilmore started a company to help people and businesses move their precious, sentimental and personal belongings. What started as a moving company has evolved into a business that goes beyond transportation. Under the direction of our father, Ronnie Gilmore, we expanded our services to include document management and storage, shredding and data hard drive destruction, and digital imaging and scanning, among others. Today, we serve over 6,000 clients from along the Gulf Coast to across the country.

It's tax season again, which means that you should go through your tax files and shred documents that you no longer have to keep.

Congratulations on closing on your new home!

You might not even think of it, but you have tons of confidential information on your computer, phone, tablet, external hard drives, USB drives and other digital media.

When you are looking for a shredding company, you need to check several factors, including the locality and the certification. Making a list titled how to choose shredding company and googling shredding company near me helps you locate local companies and compare services and certifications.

Many people believe that federal law always trumps state law, but this is not always the case. One such case involvesHIPAA regulations for medical records management.

When you are a law firm, you are held to a higher standard for protecting your clients’ data. Identity theft is a real problem that could cost your law firm hefty fines. One of the more significant issues a law firm has is that they store records right in the office.

Keeping your clients’ and employees’ sensitive information away from prying eyes is something every company should stay on top of. Even an inadvertent breach could result in hefty fines. You can protect data in your office, but what happens to that data after you’re done with it?

As a business manager or owner, you want to protect your client's confidential information, so you make the smart move and decide to work with a local shredding service company.  But is that shredding service provider AAA NAID Certified?

Smaller businesses often forego retaining a shredding company because they believe they do not have enough paper or digital media to shred. Gilmore Services provides shredding services for small and large companies by offering one-time purge shredding and ongoing shredding.

If your business shreds documents in-house or does not shred documents at all, you should consider retaining a shredding company to help you prevent your customers’ information from being stolen or hacked from your computers. Shredding documents with an over-the-counter shredder might not create pieces of documents that are small enough, which means they are at risk of being recreated.

Did you know that the Federal Trade Commission ranks Florida as number 2 on the list for highest number of identity theft cases in 2017?  You can see the rankings from 2017 here. 

If information security is not at the top of your list, it should be. You could have to pay large fines should you experience a data breach. While most companies know about securing data, their employees may have some habits that open companies to identity theft and data breaches. Our five recommendations to create a more secure environment for company data include:

Data protection is a priority for small businesses. A single data breach can cost thousands of dollars in revenue and do irreparable damage to your company’s reputation.

Anytime you prepare to move from one place to another, you need help. Very few of us could move our belongings without assistance. For many people, a move means asking friends to help.

Businesses that are bound by HIPAA regulations, including those who are in the health care industry and related spaces, must take care to dispose of patients’ personal health information properly.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to some couples deciding to quarantine together. That makes sense from the standpoint of companionship during what would otherwise be a lonely time, but it also represents some challenges.

The new reality created by the COVID-19 pandemic has led many businesses to embrace the idea of employees working remotely. As the crisis continues, we expect to see more business consolidating their workspace to reduce overhead expenses.

Small businesses have been hit hard by the mandatory closures and changes mandated during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way to get relief is to apply for an emergency loan as provided for in the CARES Act.

When you think about shredding personal document, your focus is probably on financial documents. Anything that could potentially compromise your credit or put you at risk of identity theft is an obvious chose for shredding and you’re not likely to overlook it.

Spring is rapidly approaching and for many companies, it’s the ideal time to do some spring cleaning by clearing out and shredding old documents.