Gilmore Blog https://www.gilmoreservices.com/blog/topic/data-destruction

blog 2

Information on document storage, imaging services, shredding and more.

3 Reasons to Work With a Local Shredding Company

3 Reasons to Work With a Local Shredding Company

Why partner with a shredding company when you can just buy a shredder yourself? I mean, document destruction is as easy as grabbing some files, putting them through the shredder and calling it day, right? Well, not exactly.

Are Your Business Records in Danger? Pros and Cons of DIY Document Storage

Are Your Business Records in Danger? Pros and Cons of DIY Document Storage

As your business grows, a filing cabinet is often not enough to contain all of your important records. Threats like theft, prying eyes and environmental dangers like mold or water damage can seriously harm your important documents and put your business at risk.

Packing a storeroom with boxes or renting a storage unit may seem like an easy fix, but is it the best way to keep your important records, and business, safe?  

Ensure FACTA Compliance with Document Destruction

Ensure FACTA Compliance with Document Destruction

As a small business owner or office manager, you take security seriously. Following a retention schedule and destroying documents when the time is right are just two ways you can protect your business and your customers from identity theft and other crimes. But, these steps are also critical to remaining compliant with federal, state, and local laws.

Are You Properly Disposing of Your Business's Old Technology?

Are You Properly Disposing of Your Business's Old Technology?

The rapid development of technology means the road to obsolescence is shorter than ever. While many businesses wait for computers to break down before replacing them, that’s not always the most efficient policy. Once computers start to slow down, productivity and employee morale begin to suffer.

Hard Drive Destruction: What Not to Do

Hard Drive Destruction: What Not to Do


Protecting your business’s data is critical to the continued health of your company. Financial and employee records, and other proprietary data stored on hard drives needs to be protected whether that data has reached the end of its lifecycle or not.

3 Reasons it Pays to Carry Out Secure Hard Drive Destruction

3 Reasons it Pays to Carry Out Secure Hard Drive Destruction

Hard drives hold your business’s most valuable information, including proprietary data, financial statements and employee records. While the use of hard drives are widely prevalent and often necessary, the value of this information can create a problematic scenario when it comes time to upgrade your company’s hardware and increase technological efficiency.

Unfortunately, you can’t simply throw a hard drive in the trash at the end of its useful life and hope the information it contains will remain safe.

3 Records Management Gaps That Could Harm Your Business

3 Records Management Gaps That Could Harm Your Business

Keeping business operations streamlined and running smoothly is a key goal for many business owners. After all, as your business grows, so too do clients, responsibilities, and business documents.

Business documents may include the paper documents you house on-site, or the electronic records you keep for each new customer. Managing records is a necessary aspect of many businesses, but keeping them organized and secure over time can present an unforeseen challenge for many business owners and administrative professionals.

How On-Site Document Shredding Can Help You Remain Compliant

How On-Site Document Shredding Can Help You Remain Compliant

Many companies may know they need document shredding services. After all, with identity theft statistics on the rise, you’ve likely already begun to devise a confidential document destruction plan in order to keep your client and patient information — as well as your company’s reputation — protected.

A Day in the Life of a Records Management Company

A Day in the Life of a Records Management Company

If you’re thinking about partnering with a records management company, it’s a good idea to learn how the company operates and what exactly it can do for your business. After all, you’ll be relying on that company to handle, store, and securely dispose of your company’s sensitive physical or digital documents, so you’ll want to know what the company does and how it can help.

Have you ever wondered what a records management company actually does in a typical day? Here’s a hypothetical “day in the life” to help you learn just what can be accomplished in eight hours.

Who Can You Trust With Certified Document Destruction?

Who Can You Trust With Certified Document Destruction?

You wouldn’t entrust just any company to maintenance your car or mortgage your home, would you? More often than not, you’re going to research to confirm that they are licensed and have the proper certifications in place. If they don’t, then the search continues until you find a secure business or a trustworthy partner.

Is Media Destruction the Missing Piece in Your Records Management Puzzle?

Is Media Destruction the Missing Piece in Your Records Management Puzzle?

If you've ever invested hours into putting together a jigsaw puzzle, then you know or can imagine the frustration that comes from finding that a piece is missing.

Not only does it leave a glaring hole in the finished product, but it prevents you from seeing the full picture and it robs you of the satisfaction that comes from finishing the job right.

How Hard Drive Destruction Can Help You Remain Compliant

How Hard Drive Destruction Can Help You Remain Compliant

High tech equipment can be relatively inexpensive these days, and far more people know how to use it than did just a few years ago. That’s why identity theft and many other types of privacy crimes have become so commonplace: the information is widely available and some security measures aren’t consistently up to the task of keeping sensitive information safe.

Ask These Questions to Gauge Your Records Management Compliance

Ask These Questions to Gauge Your Records Management Compliance

Many business look to secure document shredding to stay compliant with current records laws and regulations. While document destruction is necessary, records management compliance involves more than just making sure your business records are properly destroyed.

In fact, there are helpful questions to ask yourself to ensure your records management system is fully compliant. As you go through the list, be sure to answer the questions as accurately as possible to keep your business on the right track.

The Future of Document Destruction

The Future of Document Destruction

Some people have many reservations about the future. For others, the future represents potential for positive things to unfold. When we’re looking at the future of document destruction, advancements in technology and standards for record keeping can make it something to be both excited and also cautious about. Are you prepared for the future of document destruction?

Is Your Firm at The Mercy of One Misplaced Document?

Is Your Firm at The Mercy of One Misplaced Document?

High on the list of what helps businesses remain successful is proper information management. In fact, one misplaced document could put a business like a financial agency, law firm or medical practice in jeopardy. Though one lost document greatly impacting a company might sound extreme, the power of sensitive information can’t be overlooked. With so much to appreciate about a thriving business, it’s important to protect documents that, if lost, could derail an organization dramatically.

Disasters Happen. Are Your Sensitive Documents Secure?

Disasters Happen. Are Your Sensitive Documents Secure?

Businesses and homeowners know that disasters are a part of life, yet many of us still lack the proper planning to protect our sensitive documents. Like any tragic event, it’s easier to adopt an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude than face the possibility of a disaster affecting your home or business.

Is Your Document Management Plan a Sham?

Is Your Document Management Plan a Sham?

Most businesses have an idea of what their document management plan should look like. A reliable shredder and an organized filing system are the go-to visions of a business with a records management plan in place.

However, as many people come to find out, lack of consistency, time and organization can quickly derail a well-laid document management plan.

What the New Florida Data Breach Law Means for Your Business

What the New Florida Data Breach Law Means for Your Business

Data breaches have become more sophisticated and damaging as technology advances. This year, we’ve seen big name organizations like Target, Neiman Marcus, and Home Depot face issues with data breaches.

Though every state can be affected, Florida ranks number one in identity theft cases. In an attempt to combat the issue, Florida recently tightened its data breach law to protect personal information of patients and consumers.

Passed in July, the new law increases security accountability for all organizations, with a focus on healthcare. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the healthcare industry alone accounted for 43.8% of all breaches in 2013. Here are some ways to find out what the new Florida data breach law means for your business.  

4 Tools Records Management Companies Should Use

4 Tools Records Management Companies Should Use

The role of records management is extremely important to businesses. Ultimately, companies are built on paperwork like contracts, certifications, tax information and employment records.

For businesses looking to safeguard and organize their information, many seek out a professional records management company. For comprehensive care over the lifespan of your documents, records management companies should offer several different tools to organize, store and destroy business documents.

4 Common Misconceptions about Document Shredding

4 Common Misconceptions about Document Shredding

Whether or not to have an in-office shredder or use a professional shredding company is one many businesses have faced. On one hand, it’s convenient to have a document shredder right in the office. On the other hand, personal shredding machines shred a few pieces of paper at a time, must be managed properly by your internal team and lack the speed and efficiency of a commercial shredder. For a real look at what is best for your office, here are four common misconceptions about professional document shredding to consider.

What is Document Freeze Drying and How Does it Work?

What is Document Freeze Drying and How Does it Work?

Below is a guest blog by Heather Shimala, Document Recovery Account Manager for BMS CAT. This is the third blog in a series of posts this month about preparing business documents for hurricane season and other natural disasters.

Gilmore Services Takes on Earth Day, Island Style

Gilmore Services Takes on Earth Day, Island Style

For the past 44 years, April 22 has represented an important day for our environment. Earth Day, beginning in 1970, has since become an annual date centered on all aspects of protecting, improving or preserving the Earth. From small efforts like planting a garden or recycling paper to big movements like large-scale education and awareness, Earth Day gives everyone an opportunity to consider ways to do their part. Along with always recycling the paper we shred, Gilmore Services is going a step further again this year and taking on Earth Day, Island Style.

A Data Breach Game Changer That Has Been Years in the Making

A Data Breach Game Changer That Has Been Years in the Making

National Association for Information Destruction CEO Bob Johnson calls attention to an unprecedented data breach settlement in his latest blog post. Johnson explains why last month’s historic settlement could mark an important point in time in the secure destruction industry. 

What Documents Should You Shred After Tax Season?

What Documents Should You Shred After Tax Season?

The end of tax season marks the end of collecting and reporting the previous year’s financial statements and is often a breath of fresh air for business owners and the average working American. Filing taxes and accounting for your finances can be time-consuming, so mid-April represents moving forward for the year. Once the returns are processing, many people struggle to determine what to do with all of the paper documents accumulated over the course of a year and beyond. Take a look at which documents to shred and purge after tax season.

How Does Shredding Outdated Documents Remove Liability?

How Does Shredding Outdated Documents Remove Liability?

Many people rely on important documents as a foundation for their business. Although records can be necessary to prove your company's legitimacy and are helpful to reference, it’s important to recognize when to shred certain documents. No matter the nature of your company, regulations and guidelines apply to how sensitive information should be destroyed. Not only is proper destruction of certain documents required under compliance laws, doing so can also remove liability in certain situations. Take a look at why it's not always better to hold on to information for too long.