Maintaining the Integrity of Confidential Information & Privacy during a Commercial or Residential Move
How to maintain information & privacy during a commercial or residential move?
When planning a move, an often overlooked but very important consideration is the protection of documents and computers that contain private you or your company’s private information.For companies, sensitive information can range from corporate finances, operations details, corporate strategies, private information regarding clients, and client credit card information to private information about employees, including employee social security numbers and salaries.
For individuals, private information similarly can extend from personal records to finances, and the results from privacy and identity theft can be devastating.
New Haven’s in-house experts on moving offer the following suggestions:
- Destroy all papers no longer needed in a shredder. Many reports and valuable papers such as tax returns are now kept online. Moving is often the perfect time to go through papers and folders—sorting, organizing and/or destroying unnecessary documents. Shredding is a vital necessity; never put papers in a garbage.
- Meticulously organize papers in folders, files, etc., and put them in a very secure container for transport. One of the best modes of storing and transporting important documents is New Haven’s patented E-CRATES®. They are HIPAA approved because of the safety and security they offer, unlike any other crate or box. New Haven’s E-CRATES® can be used with optional letter or legal sized bars, so that your files hang just as they do in your file drawers. Their spacious interior holds a large number of folders, so that a maximum number of files can be kept intact.
- Make sure that all information on your computers are backed up, that “very strong” passwords are used for all programs (never use passwords that contain names and dates of family members or associates), and that your equipment is under the eyes of someone at all times.
- Use reputable movers and have your mover sign for the number of your containers carrying your confidential papers.
- Make sure that you have changed your address properly with the US Post Office and that your old mail box is checked daily to prevent theft.
- Watch to see that the containers / E-CRATES containing your personal papers are loaded onto the truck and that they are unloaded. Check the contents immediately.