What is a Certificate of Destruction?

There is a strange dichotomy between what a Certificate of Destruction (COD) represents and what it provides. On one hand, it represents proof of destruction—and on the other, represents proof of compliance. A COD serves both purposes so you don’t have to choose one or the other.

A Certificate of Destruction Represents Proof of Destruction

If your company receives a Certificate of Destruction, it is because your company has used the services of a shredding company to destroy your sensitive paper documents and/or hard drives. You may have chosen this service because:

• The shredding job is too time consuming for your staff to accomplish, and you need them to focus on their core tasks.
• Office shredding machines don’t shred documents the same way industrial shredding equipment does.
• You want the shredding job done right.
• You value the convenience of having someone come and shred your documents and media in a mobile shredding truck.
• You know that in the long run, it’s more affordable than paying your staff to shred papers.

Whether your primary purpose is one or more of those reasons, you should always be provided with a Certificate of Destruction following the completion of the job to prove to you that what you wanted destroyed has been fully and properly destroyed.

Does a Certificate of Destruction Provide Proof of Compliance with Data Privacy Laws?

Yes. Here’s what it can do for you and your business:

• Prove the destroyed documents and media are protected from unauthorized use, loss, or theft, and therefore eliminates the possibility of a data breach of that information.
• Show you contracted with a reputable shredding company to destroy the information in compliance with all state and federal requirements.
• Protect you and your business from legal action and damage to your reputation.

What Else Does a Certificate of Destruction Offer?

• Legal documentation that your information has been destroyed as required by law
• Proof of legal compliance in the event that:
  • You or your business are questioned by an authoritative body or the owner of the personal information.
  • Your business is audited.
  • You or your business becomes involved in a legal inquiry.
• Provides the final stage of a chain of custody of your information.

Given all the benefits a Certificate of Destruction provides, you will want to work with a reputable, locally-owned shredding company that stands behind their work with a COD.

Wiggins Shredding offers secure, compliant shredding services in Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. To protect your information, simply call us at 610-692-TEAR(8327) or complete the form on this page. Our experts are standing by to talk with you.