It’s almost the end of the year! This means a joyful celebration with friends and family, feasts of epic proportions, and a well-needed rest from schooling. This is also the best time of the year to begin shredding important, private information related to your job or academic institution. Have you done your end of the year shredding?
Generally, a large number of people save important documents til the end of the year; however, many people will throw out sensitive documents from their work or job without realizing it, which can impose a significant safety risk when it comes to your online identity. It only takes one skilled set of criminal hands and one discarded piece of information to put your identity at risk. Younger students are especially prone to throwing out sensitive documents without realizing it. This is why FERPA was passed.
What is FERPA?
FERPA, or the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, was passed in 1974 and includes multiple rules and regulations for storing and destroying documents possessed by educational facilities. FERPA also has strict guidelines for release of this information and requires signatures before information can be turned over for possession. It was created as a way to safeguard the privacy of students being served by educational entities.
The following are the guidelines for retaining and destroying documents:
- Personal information about students cannot be released to third parties without written consent from the parent and/or student.
- Educational institutions may set their own deadlines for the length of time student records will be retained and must make this information known. Each state tends to have their own rules to follow for retention and destruction of records.
- Documents must be destroyed in a way that no information can be obtained from records.
Most schools do their best to completely destroy these documents in a lawful and correct manner. Once records have been handed to the students the destruction process tends to stray from FERPA regulations. Many students don’t realize that throwing old transcripts in the trash is actually against FERPA regulations. Making onsite disposal and shredding services available to students is a great way to make sure you are FERPA compliant. For information about onsite shredding services, contact Shred With Us today.
Carolina Mobile Shredding Services
If you need secure shredding in Atlanta, Columbia, Charlotte, and Charleston, call Shred With Us today! We are a certified and top-rated shredding company that provides shredding services in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Some of our clients include the Federal Reserve Bank, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s office, the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Defense.
Complete verifiability and accountability is an essential concern for these organizations and it should be a concern for you as well. Don’t let identity theft ruin your new year; call us at (888)-297-4733 for more information and a free quote. Happy holidays from Shred With Us!
