Data security is top of mind for most organizations in 2022, and there’s a lot of good reasons for that. Data breaches not only cost organizations an average of $4 million per instance, but they also completely tarnish customers’ trust. According to the leading data security technology provider PING Identity, over 80% of consumers will refuse to interact with brands after a data breach. 

With the stakes so high, it’s no wonder that brands are working overtime to ensure that their customers’ sensitive information is secure. However, achieving this goal can be tricky when an organization donates technology. Donating organizations need assurance that all sensitive data will be securely wiped from their donated devices. To guarantee this occurs, most organizations look for seven key letters before donating technology: NAID AAA. 

Having the NAID AAA acronym beside your name tells all future organizations that trust you with their technology that you follow the strictest data security standards in the industry. And, if you can’t guess where this is going by now, we’re ready to just come out with it: both of our facilities in Los Angeles and Detroit are now NAID AAA certified! 

Thanks to our team’s commitment to the values of creative collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence in execution, our customers can now have the assurance that their sensitive data is being handled to the top standards in the industry. 

The NAID AAA certification tells our customers that our data destruction professionals collect, handle, transport, and destroy all information in adherence with a strict chain of custody procedure. Additionally, it guarantees that all donor organizations’ data will be destroyed according to all appropriate state and federal regulations.

More specifically, this certification recognizes that our facilities passed rigorous, unannounced audits by the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID). During these audits, we had to prove that every element of our data security and destruction practices – from our operational security to our hiring practices – were compliant with the highest standards in the data destruction industry.

“The NAID AAA Certification demonstrates the seriousness with which we handle data security, as well as our dedication to continuous improvement within those realms,” says Pellicane. “Our donors should expect to continue receiving the same high-quality services they’ve received in the past. We already knew our practices were best in-class, but [the NAID AAA certification] validates this for us and our partners.”

However, getting this certification means much more to us than just being able to say that we follow strict data destruction standards. Instead, it fills us with pride knowing our commitment to continuously improving our processes instills confidence in our donors that we hold ourselves accountable to protect them and their business.

“I’m really proud of the work our team did to get this,” said Pellicane. “[The NAID AAA Certification] should make every employee at every level – from entry-level to C-Suite – proud of the fact that our staff operates under the highest standards when it comes to data security. Maintaining this certification is just as important as obtaining it, so we’ll look to continue improving our data security efforts.” he continued.

To learn more about how Human-I-T leverages comprehensive data destruction protocols to guarantee the security of our donors’ sensitive information, click here.