ABC Office December 2005 Ask Dave Newsletter
ABC Office December 2005 Ask Dave Newsletter - The new year is upon us. Have you made a list of new year resolutions yet? - ABC Office
ABC Office is pleased to announce the twenty-fifth edition
of our "Ask Dave" newsletter, dedicated to answering
your questions about office equipment and supplies, and
providing you with useful answers. Please feel free to
forward this issue of Ask Dave to your friends.
The new year is upon us. Have you made a list of new year resolutions yet? You may want to consider protecting your personal identity as a goal. With a wide selection of paper shredders to choose from, making that a goal should be easier than ever. Take a look at our wide selection by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shred1.htm
FEATURED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
Kobra makes some of the most reliable paper shredders on the market. The Kobra 240SS5 and 260SS5 have become instant classics among our customers. They are popular for their chain-driven shredder teeth and their ability to shred both paper, CDs, DVDs and diskettes. Kobra shredders also have some of the best warranties in the shredder industry. The Kobra 240SS5 and 260SS5 both have a five-year warranty on the shredder head. Take a look at these featured products by going here:
Kobra 240SS5: http://www.abcoffice.com/ko240ss5.htm
Kobra 260SS5: http://www.abcoffice.com/ko260ss5.htm
ASK DAVE QUESTIONS
This month we will be featuring several of our most common paper shredder questions.
Dave,
I have noticed that you have several different security levels posted on your paper shredders. What would you recommend for a small business?
Thank you,
Joel
Joel,
This is a very common question. The shredder security level is based on a one to six scale with one being the lowest level and six being the highest. Most strip cut paper shredders are a security level one and have a 1/4-inch wide strip cut. Level six shredders are used to destroy top secret documents and extra sensitive information. Level six shred particles are very tiny and are impossible to decipher.
The security level is based on the particle size of the shredded paper. I would personally recommend using at least a security level two paper shredder for home and office use. Most people and businesses should be fine with a security level two to four paper shredder. Hospitals may want to consider using something higher security than a level two, although it is not required.
Level six paper shredders are fairly new. Level five used to be the highest security level used by the military and U.S. government. You can see what all six shredder security levels specifications are and what they look like by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shredder_guide.htm#security.
Dave:
I went to get my eyes checked today and they informed me about a new HIPAA law. I guess it has something to do with medical records and keeping them private. I heard that records need to be destroyed now. What can you tell me about this?
Vickie
Vickie,
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The HIPAA Act enforces strict standards that protect patient health information.
Through the HIPAA Act, patient information must be properly secured, stored and destroyed. When patient information has been terminated or is no longer needed, it must be destroyed rather than discarded in a waste receptacle. Although the HIPAA Act does not specify how the document should be destroyed, a paper shredder is the most effective method. The HIPAA Act does not mandate a minimum shred size. The privacy of a patient is now strictly protected by law.
Dave,
I saw a news story on T.V. last night about dumpster diving and how people will steal sensitive information out of dumpsters and garbage cans. This makes me nervous as I handle client information on a daily basis. What can I do to make my business more secure?
Anthony
Anthony,
Dumpster diving is legal in most states and leaves a lot of discarded information vulnerable to identity fraud and could open a can of worms for your business. We have a few recommendations for businesses that may help keep your organization more secure.
We recommend that you place a paper shredder next to every desk or purchase a centralized high-volume shredder for departmental use. This helps you keep all client information secure and provides an easy way to destroy private information.
I recommend not only shredding paper, but also to be sure to shred CDs, floppy disks and other material that may contain sensitive information. Everybody needs to protect their business. Nobody can afford to leave sensitive information open to the hands of criminals. Take a look at our wide selection of paper shredders by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shred1.htm.
In order to make sure you continue to receive the Ask Dave newsletter, please be sure to contact your e-mail service provider and have them put us on their white list. With the increase of junk mail, many e-mail service providers are making it more difficult to send e-mails to customers. Putting us on a white list will ensure that you will continue to receive the best office equipment news and advice available.
We are continually looking for suggestions on topics you would like to read about for future newsletters. We love hearing from you and will take all your suggestions seriously. If you don't have any topic suggestions, ask us a question. We are industry experts, and are happy to answer all your inquiries. Send all your newsletter suggestions or questions to salesmanager@abcoffice.com
::::::::::
Our aim is to show you the products that interest you most. Let us know what you think. Offers only available at www.abcoffice.com. Not responsible for typographical errors.
The new year is upon us. Have you made a list of new year resolutions yet? You may want to consider protecting your personal identity as a goal. With a wide selection of paper shredders to choose from, making that a goal should be easier than ever. Take a look at our wide selection by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shred1.htm
FEATURED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
Kobra makes some of the most reliable paper shredders on the market. The Kobra 240SS5 and 260SS5 have become instant classics among our customers. They are popular for their chain-driven shredder teeth and their ability to shred both paper, CDs, DVDs and diskettes. Kobra shredders also have some of the best warranties in the shredder industry. The Kobra 240SS5 and 260SS5 both have a five-year warranty on the shredder head. Take a look at these featured products by going here:
Kobra 240SS5: http://www.abcoffice.com/ko240ss5.htm
Kobra 260SS5: http://www.abcoffice.com/ko260ss5.htm
ASK DAVE QUESTIONS
This month we will be featuring several of our most common paper shredder questions.
Dave,
I have noticed that you have several different security levels posted on your paper shredders. What would you recommend for a small business?
Thank you,
Joel
Joel,
This is a very common question. The shredder security level is based on a one to six scale with one being the lowest level and six being the highest. Most strip cut paper shredders are a security level one and have a 1/4-inch wide strip cut. Level six shredders are used to destroy top secret documents and extra sensitive information. Level six shred particles are very tiny and are impossible to decipher.
The security level is based on the particle size of the shredded paper. I would personally recommend using at least a security level two paper shredder for home and office use. Most people and businesses should be fine with a security level two to four paper shredder. Hospitals may want to consider using something higher security than a level two, although it is not required.
Level six paper shredders are fairly new. Level five used to be the highest security level used by the military and U.S. government. You can see what all six shredder security levels specifications are and what they look like by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shredder_guide.htm#security.
Dave:
I went to get my eyes checked today and they informed me about a new HIPAA law. I guess it has something to do with medical records and keeping them private. I heard that records need to be destroyed now. What can you tell me about this?
Vickie
Vickie,
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The HIPAA Act enforces strict standards that protect patient health information.
Through the HIPAA Act, patient information must be properly secured, stored and destroyed. When patient information has been terminated or is no longer needed, it must be destroyed rather than discarded in a waste receptacle. Although the HIPAA Act does not specify how the document should be destroyed, a paper shredder is the most effective method. The HIPAA Act does not mandate a minimum shred size. The privacy of a patient is now strictly protected by law.
Dave,
I saw a news story on T.V. last night about dumpster diving and how people will steal sensitive information out of dumpsters and garbage cans. This makes me nervous as I handle client information on a daily basis. What can I do to make my business more secure?
Anthony
Anthony,
Dumpster diving is legal in most states and leaves a lot of discarded information vulnerable to identity fraud and could open a can of worms for your business. We have a few recommendations for businesses that may help keep your organization more secure.
We recommend that you place a paper shredder next to every desk or purchase a centralized high-volume shredder for departmental use. This helps you keep all client information secure and provides an easy way to destroy private information.
I recommend not only shredding paper, but also to be sure to shred CDs, floppy disks and other material that may contain sensitive information. Everybody needs to protect their business. Nobody can afford to leave sensitive information open to the hands of criminals. Take a look at our wide selection of paper shredders by going here: http://www.abcoffice.com/shred1.htm.
In order to make sure you continue to receive the Ask Dave newsletter, please be sure to contact your e-mail service provider and have them put us on their white list. With the increase of junk mail, many e-mail service providers are making it more difficult to send e-mails to customers. Putting us on a white list will ensure that you will continue to receive the best office equipment news and advice available.
We are continually looking for suggestions on topics you would like to read about for future newsletters. We love hearing from you and will take all your suggestions seriously. If you don't have any topic suggestions, ask us a question. We are industry experts, and are happy to answer all your inquiries. Send all your newsletter suggestions or questions to salesmanager@abcoffice.com
::::::::::
Our aim is to show you the products that interest you most. Let us know what you think. Offers only available at www.abcoffice.com. Not responsible for typographical errors.