Augusta Data Storage is the only document destruction service provider in the CSRA with NAID AAA Certification. This globally recognized certification is one of the most challenging to obtain in the data destruction industry, and we have maintained strict compliance since 2009. We’re the only locally owned and operated vendor that can bring this highly secure process to your organization, for both mobile and plant-based destruction solutions.

NAID AAA certification is a stringent certification process that requires strict management of facility access, shredding procedures and practices, and subjects the service provider to planned and unplanned audits at any time. But, as a consumer, you’re probably wondering why that matters to you.

Who is NAID?

NAID is the National Association for Information Destruction. They are the international trade association for companies providing information destruction services. NAID’s mission is to promote the information destruction industry and the standards and ethics of its member companies. These certifications come with a strict set of rules and requirements for various parts of our process and facility. Augusta Data Storage works year-round to ensure that we maintain the strict requirements of this certification as we work to improve and streamline our processes.

Why Work with NAID Certified Vendors?

Aside from protecting your business assets, did you know that working with NAID AAA Certified service providers helps you fulfill legal requirements for businesses managing and handling proprietary information?

By law, you are required to maintain certain practices for the secure destruction of company records in accordance with legal due diligence requirements related to HIPPA, FACTA, and The Graham Leach Bliley Act. And by working with a NAID AAA certified vendor, you can  be confident that the destruction of your confidential information is being handled in compliance with federal and state regulations.

Understanding Data Privacy Laws

In the United States, there is not one comprehensive federal law that regulates data security. Instead, there are many laws and regulations that, together, govern data privacy. Here are some of the most common:

The Federal Trade Commission Act

The Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) has broad jurisdiction to prevent unfair or deceptive trade practices. The FTC enforces privacy laws, enforces consumer protection, and issues regulations.

The FTC Act also stipulates that businesses must ensure the proper disposal of consumer report information and records. Any data that can be linked back to a consumer, whether it be hard copies or digital files, must be destroyed properly.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) governs the collection of health information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects individuals’ medical records and other personal information pertaining to health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing the privacy and security rules of HIPAA.

HIPAA regulations stipulate stringent measures for the proper destruction of healthcare-related documents. It’s not enough to simply discard patient records in the trash or recycling bin – they must be rendered unreadable, indecipherable, and otherwise cannot be reconstructed. Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to heavy penalties, making it absolutely crucial to work with a certified data destruction provider.

Gramm Leach Bliley Act

The Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) requires banks and financial institutions to explain their information-sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data.  It also prohibits the sharing of customers’ nonpublic personal information among financial institutions without giving the customer an opportunity to opt-out. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act regulates information sharing and requires financial institutions to securely handle and dispose of customer records. Non-compliance can result in severe penalties. 

Working with companies that maintain the high standards established by NAID means working with a company that is required to maintain high standards across all facets of their operation and in compliance with data privacy regulations. This includes hiring practices, facility security, and equipment maintenance.

Who monitors NAID Certified Vendors?

According to i-SIGMA, NAID AAA Certification is awarded to service providers who continuously validate they meet regulatory standards and security through scheduled and even surprise third-party audits. This is why hundreds of government offices and thousands of private organizations around the world already require NAID AAA Certification of their data destruction service providers. The choice is simple. Clients can either sort out the legally required initial and ongoing due diligence themselves or rely on NAID AAA Certification to verify service provider compliance. 

NAID’s certification program was developed by information security professionals and recognized by thousands of private and governmental organizations around the world. Because of the far-reaching expectations of this certification, NAID conducts over 700 announced and unannounced audits every year to ensure that their certified vendors maintain consistently secure practices all year.

NAID certification auditors verify that protocols are in place to ensure the security of confidential material throughout all stages of the destruction process such as handling, transporting, storing materials prior to destruction, and destroying and disposing of materials responsibly. This also includes any transfer of custody scenarios.

Why are we certified?

At Augusta Data Storage, we know that our certification allows us to better serve our clients and provides a framework for us to manage and monitor our document destruction practices, but our customers are the real reason we push to maintain our high levels of compliance. We understand that the privacy and security of your business information is a top priority, especially as the value of information continues to climb for hackers, identity thieves, and those looking to commit fraud. 

The ultimate beneficiary of our NAID AAA certification is the customers. By placing their trust in our processes, they know exactly what level of service they will receive: service that maintains the highest level of integrity and security through compliance to NAID’s strict certification standards.

Get In Touch

Our team at Augusta Data Storage is committed to safeguarding and properly disposing of your sensitive data. Trust us to protect your information to the highest standards set by NAID. Don’t let your data fall into the wrong hands. Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can best serve your organization’s data destruction and storage needs. Your security is our mission. When it comes to data security, there’s no time like the present.

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That’s right, our NAID AAA Certification requires us to keep information security top-of-mind in our organization, each and every day.

WHAT IS NAID?

The National Association for Information Destruction, NAID for short, is the international trade association for those organizations providing information destruction services. Their mission is to help promote the information destruction industry as well as the standards and ethics of its member companies. This organization developed and maintains the AAA certification process through a series of scheduled and unannounced audits of its members throughout the year.

Since September of 2009, Augusta Data Storage has been a NAID AAA certified service provider for secure document destruction, and in October 2016, we received the same certification for our hard-drive destruction processes.

THE NAID CERTIFICATION PROCESS:

These certifications come with a strict set of rules and requirements for various parts of our process and facility, from screening employees to maintaining restricted facility access, installing closed caption surveillance systems, documenting the destruction and more. When an audit takes place, whether announced or unannounced, there is a list of over 50 items that will be monitored to ensure the highest level of security is maintained within our operations.

Here is a snapshot of some of the items that make this certification process so robust:

EMPLOYEE REQUIREMENTS

• Employees handling records or hard drives for destruction must have an up-to-date employment history
• On-going drug screening and criminal background checks

OPERATIONAL SECURITY

• In-depth policies and procedures manuals for our destruction processes are required
• Employees must be trained on NAID-AAA compliant procedures for destruction and information handling
• Proof of destruction documents must be provided to all customers
• All collected materials must be protected from loss due to tipping, wind, or other weather conditions.
• Facility visitors must ALWAYS check-in and receive a visitors badge and be escorted by an Access Employee at all times.
• Items waiting for destruction must be kept in a designated secure, restricted access area.
• Monitored Alarm System on required destruction facilities.
• Closed Caption Surveillance with a backlog of 90 days of footage is required

THE DESTRUCTION PROCESS

• There are strict requirements for the final shredded size of paper going through our shred plants and mobile operations
• For hard-drives and digital media, specific information must be tracked and reported to the customer for proof of destruction
• Agreements for Reasonable Disposal of the Materials
• Transfer of Custody Documentation

 
COMPANY REQUIREMENTS

• Business License
• Proof of General Liability Insurance

WHY IS THIS CERTIFICATION IMPORTANT?

Apart from providing additional layers of security for your information throughout the destruction process, the NAID AAA certification process is specifically designed to meet a variety of the requirements outlined in the numerous laws and regulations developed to protect confidential customer and consumer information. These laws include:

• FACTA Final Disposal Rule requires the destruction of all consumer information before it is discarded. Covered entities must monitor compliance of any organization contracted to destroy consumer records.
• The FACTA Red Flags Rule requires audits of data-related vendors with access to personal information of customers.
• Under HIPAA, covered entities may be subject to civil penalties for misconduct of its business associates that lead to a security breach. Working with a NAID certified vendor reduces the risk.
• Business associates of covered entities must comply with technical, administrative and physical safeguard requirements under the HIPAA Security Rule. For more information on HIPAA, see “Common misconceptions about HIPAA and data destruction.”
• The media destruction specifications of PCI compliance require the following, all of which NAID certification requires and verifies:
  • 9.10.1.a: Verify that hard copy materials are crosscut shredded, incinerated or pulped such that there is reasonable assurance the hard copy materials cannot be reconstructed.
  • 9.10.1.b: Examine storage containers used for information to be destroyed to verify the containers are secured. For example, verify that a to-be-shred container has a lock preventing access to its contents.
  • 9.10.2: Verify that cardholder data on electronic media is rendered unrecoverable via a secure wipe program in accordance with industry-accepted standards for secure deletion or otherwise physically destroying the media (e.g., degaussing).

[ Information provided by the National Association for Information Destruction ]

ENSURING CONTINUED SECURITY OF YOUR INFORMATION

The security of your information, whether paper or digital, should be a high priority for any business, especially in today’s world of increased data security threats. One of the best ways you can ensure that your information is safe is to work with third-party vendors who maintain the same belief in the value of securing information as you do.

As a long-standing member of NAID and a AAA Certified member, Augusta Data Storage recognizes the importance of maintaining the security of your information throughout the lifecycle of your paper and digital records. Our operation is designed to ensure that your records stay secure until they are completely destroyed, according to industry standards. Our employees are uniformed, trained, and insured to provide the maximum level of security and service when handling your confidential records.

If you are interested in learning more about our organization or how our secure destruction process can help you, contact us today.

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