Privacy Matters
Private Personal Information: Protect It!
Working With It? Secure It!
Done With It? Delete It!
Already Read It? Shred It!
Done with It? Destroy It!

ALREADY READ IT? SHRED IT!

Already Read It? Shred It!

Best Practices for Destroying PPI on Paper

As a member of the University community, you may have access to private, personal information (PPI) for employees, students, patients, etc. It is essential that paper copies of documents that include PPI be destroyed.

  • Never dispose of paper documents including PPI in wastebaskets or unsecured recycle bins.
  • Shred confidential documents containing PPI when no longer needed.
  • Use a cross-cut shredder. The newer models are robust enough to also shred credit cards and CDs.
  • Consider an on-site shredding service, or sharing the service with other University departments—both for documents and digital media.
  • Understand HIPAA regulations for protecting paper documents in a medical environment.