Asking who is the best secure data destruction company can be a bit like asking what is the best car – it depends on what you need it for, which features are essential and which are “like to have”, how often you’ll be using it, and so on.
Searching online for professional confidential waste destruction prices in your area is likely to return a confusing array of options. Here are a few that you might encounter. Most of these relate to paper-based data, but we will also cover electronically-stored data at the end.
Pre-Paid Document Shredding Bags
These are ideal for occasional use and are more popular with households who are clearing out old paperwork and offices that have documents that are reasonably confidential, but don’t contain personal data and are therefore exempt from GDPR. Once the bag is filled, you tie and seal the top and contact the waste contractor to request a collection, or take it to a collection point.
Secure Single-Use Consoles
A more secure alternative to pre-paid bags is
RemoteShred from Avena. Developed as a response to the increase in working from home during the Covid-19 lockdowns, RemoteShred adapts the convenience and security of Avena’s popular
Securall® system to the needs of remote workers.
As with the Securall system, the user can easily and quickly notify Avena when the single-use console is filled and ready for collection. Made of cardboard, when the console arrives at Avena’s destruction facility it is fed, still fully sealed, into the shredder, protecting the confidentiality of its contents.
On-Site Document Destruction
This option is popular for firms that dispose of larger volumes of documents at one time – for example when financial records pass their legally-required five-year retention period.
With an on-site data shredding service, a large truck containing an industrial shredder is parked on or close to the premises. Documents are carried out and placed into the shredder, where they are immediately destroyed.
These instant results that can be witnessed by the customer also make on-site shredding a popular option for companies that require or prefer an added layer of security.
On-site document destruction is usually, although not always, an on-demand service.
Off-Site Document Destruction
This is probably the most popular option for medium to large companies and is frequently combined with a regular collection service.
For sites such as hospitals, universities and larger offices, many data destruction companies offer what is called a ‘floor walk’ service. on arriving at the site, they will physically check each bin or secure storage console, emptying them even if they are only partly filled. A fixed weekly or monthly price per bin is generally charged for this.
The
Securall system from Avena eliminates this inefficient use of time and resources. Using the Securall Management Platform, staff can directly alert Avena when a console is full and this information is automatically added to the collection schedule. When they arrive on site, their
BS7858 security vetted and
DBS checked customer service representative will know exactly which consoles need to be emptied.
The Securall® console blends unobtrusively with modern office design and is easy to use, but appearances can be deceptive – no one other than the Avena CSR or a company keyholder can access documents once they have been placed into the console.
This level of security is continued for the rest of the documents’ journey, via Avena’s fleet of CCTV and real-time satellite tracking-protected vans to their shredding facility, where they are quickly reduced to small, GDPR-compliant particles.
IT And Media Destruction
As businesses move closer towards electronic data storage, there is an increased demand for protecting data stored on flash drives, discs and hard drives. Even companies transferring daily operations to cloud-based systems, many choose to keep these more tangible records as extra insurance.
A secure destruction company that offers IT and media destruction, as well as paper-based data destruction, is therefore advisable.
Securetech from Avena offers the same level of data protection as that given to paper-based data and the strict regulations of WEEE 2013.
Securetech covers not only portable data storage devices but also the data storage components found in obsolescent laptops, computers, mobile devices and even printer copiers, ensuring all your sensitive data is permanently destroyed and protected forever.
Choosing The Best Secure Data Destruction For Your Company
While the above may help to clarify the differences between the various services offered, you may still be unsure which company is best for your needs as in addition to the type of service they offer, the way that secure destruction is charged for can vary from one provider to the next. Some charge per kilo of waste paper or an hourly rate for shredding, while others work to a weekly or monthly service charge based on the number of consoles they maintain or empty.
Avena Group takes a consultative approach that studies how your organisation operates and creates a bespoke solution to ensure a fully secure, cost-effective and hassle-free service.
Our combination of remote, on-site and off-site shredding combined with IT and media destruction gives us the flexibility to tailor the service to your unique requirements. In that sense, you can be assured that Avena is the best data destruction company for you.
For further information on our full range of secure destruction services, contact Avena Group on
0845 5219 892 or via our
website.
