Have you ever wished there was a magic tool to erase all the data on your hard drive so that when the time comes to shred the hard drive, you can have an extra layer of protection? Now, there is one. A Japanese company has created a device that will instantly erase all the data on a hard drive before it is headed for the shredder.

This technology, which is called Data Killer by its manufacturer, is a breakthrough that could make shredding digital information faster and simpler, and recycling your old laptop or hard drive less of a concern. Plus, it eliminates the tedious waiting time of the “zero all data” function on your magnetic hard disk.

According to Michishi Nanayama, the company’s CEO, the machine acts as a data crusher of sorts. “It erases data instantly. If you have data you need to get rid of, Data Killer can do it without taking lots of time,” If desired, the wiped drives can be re-used – or, put into the shredder for permanent physical deletion.

Of course, Sergeant Shredder can perform this shredding if it is part of your data deletion plan. Our Orange County shredding service offers e-waste shredding services to businesses and individuals who need secure digital data destruction performed at their location. Whether or not you choose to use a product like Data Killer first, you can trust our secure mobile document destruction company to shred your hard drive the moment it is handed to us.

Is there a world record for paper shredding? Believe it or not, there is! In Dallas, Texas, an information management firm has partnered with Comerica Bank to break the Guinness World Records honor for “Most Paper Collected in a 24-Hour Period.” The event, called Shred Day DFW, was a free community shredding
event held at Comerica Bank’s Mockingbird Service Center in Dallas on Saturday, April 14.

Of course, the purpose of the event was not really to set the world record for shredding, but to use the record to raise awareness of identity theft protection and paper product sustainability. Clearly, it accomplished the goal, with the collection of 111,920 lbs. of paper in a single day! That ensured that this event broke the world record for paper shredding by more than 12 tons, since the previous record certified by Guinness was 87,360 lbs. in 2011.

The shredded paper was all recycled by Iron Mountain, the company that performed the document destruction. San Diego businesses know they can trust Sergeant Shredder to perform onsite document destruction as well, and recycle it immediately so the materials are sustainable. We may not be setting any world records, but we’re one of the most sought-after document shredding firms in California and that’s something to be proud of.

“Sharing intelligence” sounds like something that is relegated strictly to government activities. But now, a decade after the Department of Homeland Security was established and dozens (if not hundreds) of newsworthy personal security concerns have graced the airwaves, sharing intelligence is a phenomenon that has found its way into the private sector – which means it’s a bigger threat, to a larger number of people, and may eventually become the norm. That’s another reason our Los Angeles shredding service is so committed to protecting your privacy.

What are some examples of intelligence sharing in everyday life? These days, many companies and individuals are walking a fine line when it comes to gathering intelligence about customers, job applicants and borrowers/homebuyers/renters. Lawfully gathering information that is available to the public is one thing, but gathering offline information via extensive methods or sneaky cyber intelligence sharing is another. Requests for Facebook passwords? It’s been done. Freedom of Information Act requests for a person’s basic history? Happens all the time.

If you’ve been told that you failed a background check for a job, rental home or credit application, who knows what activity you no longer engage in, odd incident from your past or private lifestyle choices swayed the odds against you? More importantly, who knows how that information about you was obtained? Sometimes, it happens because of an unethical intelligence sharing practice.

To minimize the risk of your personal security being compromised, shred all sensitive documents, limit the personal information you share online and protect your social security number. This Los Angeles shredding service wants to see everyone’s privacy protected.

In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, both of which are in the month of April, many small businesses are upping their green business practices. That means more recycling, and maybe even a paper shredding drive to promote sustainability. Many will make those eco-friendly efforts an annual event, but some will be so impressed by how easy it is that they will decide to maintain those efforts throughout the year. For those businesses, there can be some tangible rewards around the corner. Here’s just one example:

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) will offer $30 billion in loans and investments through 2020 to promote a “greener” economy, for things such as wind and solar energy, clean technologies and energy-efficient buildings. The nation’s largest mortgage lender will also offer $100 million in community grants for grassroots environmental initiatives to support increased volunteerism for programs such as planting and care for city trees and open spaces.

So if you are a business or community organization that is considering establishing a green program of any kind, you’ve picked the right time. If Wells Fargo succeeds with this initiative, other banks are likely to follow. That means more loan and grant opportunities for more establishments around the country. As you may know, document shredding is an integral part of the most successful green businesses, particularly those who obtain some kind of green certification. If you aim to be in that elite group in your community, then shred San Diego businesses, shred away. Call Sergeant Shredder to inquire about one-time or regularly scheduled paper shredding, and we will gladly answer your questions.

Our Irvine shredding company is holding another great shredding event this upcoming weekend! This is the City of Irvine Spring Cleaning Shredding Event, being held Sat. May 5th, 9a-12p. It’s a huge, city-wide paper shredding event – and it’s absolutely free! Designed to help residents safely and securely dispose of unwanted and sensitive documents, this event is being held in University Community Park, near the University Park Library in Irvine.

Here are the details: Residents can dispose of up to five bankers-size file boxes at a time. There will be mobile shredding units at each location, and all items accepted will be shredded at the location. For additional program information, please contact Meera Sawhney at (949) 724-7449 or visit www.cityofirvine.org/environmentalprograms.

Fortunately, this event doesn’t limit your spring cleaning to paper items! Local charitable organizations will also be on hand that day to accept unwanted or slightly used clothing. It doesn’t get any more convenient than that! And, a note to our Irvine shredding competitors: We’re always willing and able to cross promote green shredding events with other shredding firms. If you’re as committed to being part of the green army as we are, contact us to inquire about that opportunity. Contact Sergeant Shredder at (888) 856-1301 or at our website, SergeantShredder.com.

Did you know that there are now guidelines for disposing of prescription drugs? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) worked with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop the first-ever set of consumer guidelines for the proper disposal of prescription drugs. Our company provides document shredding in Los Angeles, but we care about all aspects of public safety; so with that in mind, we have summarized the guidelines for your convenience:

Follow Directions

Just as you should follow the directions on the label for taking the medication, the same care should be applied to following any disposal instructions on the label. That means it’s not okay to flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless the label says so (and it rarely does).

Take Advantage of Drug Disposal Programs

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of community drug disposal days, which local sheriff departments often hold in partnership with public document shredding events. At Sergeant Shredder, our shredding service in Los Angeles is available to partner with law enforcement agencies for such events. We are committed to promoting public safety on a broad scale that goes far beyond document destruction.

The Last Resort

If there are no disposal directions on the label and no public disposal program is available in your area, the guidelines state that you may dispose of the drugs in your household trash. However, you must take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter (this makes them less appealing to children, pets, homeless individuals who may sort through trash, etc). Additionally, they must be placed in a sealable bag, empty can or other container to prevent breaking from the trash bag.

Disposing of prescription drugs according to these guidelines is the safest, most environmentally sound way to eliminate unwanted medications. Whether or not you embrace a “green” lifestyle, follow this protocol in order to protect innocent parties from ingesting your disposed drugs. For more on secure, environmentally sound disposal, contact us to speak about document shredding in Los Angeles.

Another recent news item highlights the permanence of paper shredding; this time, the story is of a national scope. That story is the Secret Service scandal.

What’s the connection? To start, one of the most talked-about aspects of the unfortunate event in Colombia is the manner in which it could have compromised national security if the women in question were not who they said they were. One United States Congressman recently said to the press, “What if these women were working for a narco terrorist organization?” In fact, dozens of “what if” scenarios could be offered here – scenarios that could reflect a major national security breach, particularly if any documents obtained from the agents’ laptop computers were shredded.

Think about it: If the women in question, all of whom were foreign nationals, had malicious intent against the United States (although thankfully, there is no evidence that points to that), they could have inserted a flash drive into any laptop in the room and retrieved classified information within minutes. Those files, which would likely be printed at some point, could have been shredded in an instant, which would eliminate any “paper trail” for the purposes of incriminating them. That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?

However, it can also be encouraging to those who want to be sure that paper shredding really works – which it does. To inquire about shredding for your Los Angeles business or any document shredding needs in California, contact Sergeant Shredder today.

Spring normally marks the beginning of the moving season; with that in mind, consider all the things that need to be done:

• Packing
• Moving
• Shipping
• Shredding

If only there was one business that was able to help you with all of the above. Good news: There is! Box Brothers, with multiple locations throughout Los Angeles and San Diego, specializes in professional packing, custom crating, small moves, domestic and international shipping, moving boxes and shipping boxes. In fact, they even offer a value added service to make moving even easier: drop off paper shredding. Los Angeles residents who need a quick, convenient and affordable source for all things pertaining to moving can trust Box Brothers to be that for them.

Here is where you can find locations for Box Brothers throughout Los Angeles and San Diego. Shredding drop boxes are available at these locations as well. That way, people who are moving can pick up boxes for packing, ship boxes to their new locations and shred their old, unwanted and potentially compromising documents all in one quick trip. This is the way to move. For easy paper shredding in Los Angeles and San Diego, contact your local Box Brothers today by calling 800-84-BOXES. You can also get more information on the Box Brothers Facebook page.

We’ve already told you about tax time identity theft dangers, but with yesterday being the official deadline for filing tax returns, Americans need to know about some specific tax day identity theft incidents that have occurred in the past. First, our Irvine shredding company will cover some general possibilities regarding tax fraud identity theft:

• Tax preparers who commit larceny
• Postal employees who can be bribed to hand over sensitive material
• Fraudulent e-mails that claim to be from the IRS

The point of these activities is to obtain and use other people’s Social Security numbers, either for credit fraud or filing fictionalized tax returns. They will even steal the Social Security numbers of children so they can declare them as dependents. Stealing the social security numbers of children: another reason we are so passionate about promoting document shredding in California.

Here are some more specific examples of tax fraud identity theft: On Jan. 31 of this year, the IRS and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted a nationwide sweep that targeted 105 people in 23 states. According to the DOJ, the effort included indictments, arrests, and the execution of search warrants related to the potential theft of thousands of identities and taxpayer refunds.

Around the same time, the IRS visited check cashing operations and other non-banking money services to confirm that those businesses are not involved in the fraudulent refund business. These visits took place in what were identified as “high risk” locations, such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Tampa, Birmingham (Alabama) and Washington, DC.

During the crackdown, the IRS discovered that the problem is multi-faceted. Undercover law-enforcement agents in New Jersey were believed to be in the business of filing phony tax returns, while at the same time, a mail carrier agreed to provide addresses located along his route in Somerset, N.J., and to divert the resulting tax-refund checks from the main stream, in exchange for a kickback. Meanwhile, tax preparers in Alabama were pleading guilty to filing false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The DOJ reported that one tax preparer operation used the names, Social Security numbers and birthdays of various victims to file false tax returns, which were directed to bank accounts and debit cards that the criminals controlled.

It’s almost too much to wrap your head around. However, tax time identity theft problems can be minimized when tax filers protect their information – by hiring tax preparers they trust, directing returns to their own bank accounts (rather than cashing tax refunds at a check cashing operation), and shredding any excess copies of tax returns (with or without the help of our Irvine shredding company). Keeping a digital copy is the best way, and it can always be printed later.

One recent local news item highlights the power and permanence of paper shredding. On March 9, the Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN) in San Diego filed charges that chief operating officer Robert Ames hired a San Diego shredding company to destroy internal documents, believed to be in relation to the organization’s move to a new building. According to the suit, “(Ames) filled several large, yard-waste size containers with documents, which were removed for destruction.”

Also, the suit alleges, chief executive officer Michael Shames took boxes of documents from the office and together with Ames, loaded them into his personal car. “Ames filled several large, yard-waste size containers with documents, which were removed for destruction,” says the suit.

Ames and Shames claimed to be disposing of “excess documents,” but two company whistleblowers who believed the shredding was designed to cover up improper activity quickly spoke up. They allege in the suit that there was a failure on UCAN’s part to perform an independent audit when its revenues exceeded $2 million in 2006 and 2010, and that UCAN executives exceeded their consultant budget by more than $200,000. In the suit, they allege, these activities nearly drove UCAN to insolvency.

But that’s not all the executives were trying to cover up when engaging in improper document destruction. San Diego’s David Peffer and Charles Langley, the whistleblowers, expressed knowledge of questionable UCAN activities going back to July 2011, when UCAN said it would file for dissolution and would cooperate with a U.S. Attorney probe of its finances. The finer details of the alleged improprieties, which range from pocketing money awarded to UCAN by state commissions to intentionally misspelling the names of bank accounts to mask the activity, are of course important; but what is more important is that for the purposes of this story, taking advantage of San Diego shredding services was an action that showed intent to destroy evidence.

Of course, this type of activity is not endorsed by reputable companies providing document destruction. San Diego shredding companies like Sergeant Shredder condemn the practice, and urge companies to think before they shred. Shredding documents on a regular basis helps businesses reduce liabilities, comply with regulation and follow green business policies. Stick to those reasons and your paper shredding practices should never be called into question.