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May 2012

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How Valuable is your Paper?

Richards & Richards stores thousands of boxes in our records center.  Each box is contractually covered and this coverage is limited by our baisic liability policy.  The majority of the coverage for your box of records is through YOUR company's Valuable Paper's Protection policy that is included in your office's insurance policy.

This is an important part of your company's coverage in the event of a disaster – yet many have not reviewed this information.  We urge you to contact your office insurance carrier and ask these important questions:

  • Does our office have Valuable Papers Insurance?
  • What are the Limits of Coverage? (Is that number sufficient?)
  • What is my Deductible? (Is that number agreeable with you?)
  • Do you have Richards & Richards named in your policy as the location where these records are stored?

These 4 questions will be sure that in the event of a major disaster that your company's information assets are properly insured. 

Please contact us if you have questions.  We want your company protected and are happy to help you be sure you are secure.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO




NAID News

Bowman Richards has also earned the Certified Secure Destruction Specialist (CSDS) certification this month.  Bowman and Steve Richards are the only 2 CSDS certified professionals in Tennessee and there are only 130 in the US.


May 23rd         RRWeb Lunch & Learn

June 14th              ARMA Nashville
                      50th Anniversary Event 

June 20th        RRWeb Lunch & Learn

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.


We will be closed
Monday
May 28th
in observance of
Memorial Day




Did You Secure
Your Data?

A study by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reveals that 10% of second-hand hard drives sold online may still contain personal or corporate data.

The ICO survey also found that 65% of British adults hand over old phones, computers, and laptops to other users, some of which, like hard drives, may still contain personal information.

For more information, click here >>>

Richards & Richards offers AAA NAID certified destruction of hard drives.  For information on how to get these drives destroyed – contact us here. 



Can an ID Thief
Steal your Time? 
You Bet…


It makes sense doesn’t it?  We insure our health, our autos, our home, even our lives?  We have taken care of those valuable items for years with insurance.  

Studies sadly show that ID theft is the fastest growing white collar crime in the US for the past 13 years.  ID theft is a huge “time stealer” because not only do they steal your identity, they steal your time. 

How much time?

  • 6 months to complete process
  • 200 individual hours of time
  • Not only for you – but your children!

Source: FTC

ID theft resolution for your family can become your new part time job!

We at Richards & Richards really believe there is a better way to address this problem. LegalShield and their partnership with Kroll is the ideal solution.  They offer credit monitoring and consultation surrounding identity theft, but what sets them apart is their expertise in identity theft restoration. 

That means they step in with the use of a Limited Power of Attorney and apply their expertise in fully restoring the individual back to pre-theft status.  We believe that all of our valued clients should consider owning this type of service.  For more information contact Todd Gregory at 482-1232 or gregorybenefits@peoplepc.com. He would be more than happy to educate you on this valuable service. 







 
Category: Newsletters

January 2012

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Happy
New Year!

The new year is here and the time for resolutions is now.  What better resolution than to get your records in order?

Have you destroyed the records that should be destroyed?  Contact us for a report on what you have in storage that shouldn't be.

Who has access to your records?  Your Richards & Richards security list is how we know who should be allowed access.  Contact us today to find out who is on your list and get it updated.

Running out of file space?  Anything you have on site that needs to be cleaned out and destroyed – we can provide you secure destruction service for.  Contact us for a quote on service here.

From all of us at Richards & Richards, enjoy 2012 and let us know how we can help make it a very Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO

February 15th   RRWeb Lunch & Learn

March 21st      RRWeb Lunch & Learn

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.

Encrypting Back-up Tape


A recent incident raises the question of why so many companies are still backing up data onto tapes without encryption. A simple formatting change could save your company countless fines and unwanted media attention.

The Cattles Group, which specializes in personal loans and debt recovery, admitted losing two backup tapes containing information about 1.4 million customers. According to a company statement, the tapes contained the names and addresses of 1.4 million customers; 600,000 of those records also contained customers’ date of birth and payment history, data that could be easily exploited by fraudsters for identity theft. For information on this incident click here >>>>

If you are not currently encrypting your back-ups, contact us here to request information on hardware to make the transition.


 
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November 2011

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Time to Prepare for Year End!

The holidays are right around the corner and that means preparing for all the joys that they bring.  It also means that we are bringing another year to an end. 

This is a great time to review your files and get them organized, scanned, stored, or destroyed before the new year. 

We realize that it is a busy time of year but want to encourage you to take time for this important task.  If it seems impossible to fit in – let us help we have staff available to help with all file processes.  Just contact us to see the many ways we can help.  It will make the new year brighter.

From all of us at Richards & Richards, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO




Customer Service
Manual Contest!

The Customer Service Manual is your ultimate guide in how to do business with Richards & Richards.  Updated copies are always available on our website.

We are looking for ways to make this manual more useful to you and would like your ideas!  This manual is for you – and we want to be sure to include the things that you need!

To encourage your creative talents – we will be awarding a $50 gift card to one of our inventive clients.  Just submit an idea for the manual here and we will include your name in a drawing to win the card!


November 16th   RRWeb Lunch & Learn

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.




What does the number 542,355,248
have to do with me?
   

That huge number represents the number of personal records that have been breached according to Privacyrights.org.   And it is not just about credit!  It’s about driver’s license, medical information, social security number, children under 18, phishing, pharming, ID cloning, seniors, charity, cell phone, cyber, etc. 

We at Richards & Richards have realized that the shredding of documents, though an important part of prevention, does not completely solve the problem due to the sheer number of databases that our personal information is stored in.  On average, our “digitized selves” reside in 50 databases, not including ones kept by the government.  Richards & Richards is happy to utilize a service for our employees called Identity Theft Shield, which is backed and powered by Kroll. 

It offers the expected monitoring of credit files, changes of address, and public records. The real power, however, is in their full restoration in the event of a theft, which puts the heavy lifting of restoring credit on the real experts, Kroll.   We are encouraging our valued customers to evaluate this service as well. 

For more information contact Todd Gregory at 482-1232 or gregorybenefits@peoplepc.com.  He would be more than happy to educate you on these important benefits.


Our office will be closed on
Thursday, Nov. 24th
and
Friday, Nov. 25th
in observance of the holiday.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 
We are thankful for you and hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.





 
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September 2011

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Fall Into the Future of Document Storage
 
School is back in session, the heat of summer is waning and the leaves are starting to fall – it is a time of change.  The world of document storage is changing as well.

“Paperless office” is the new buzz term imaging companies are using.  Scanning and digital storage is a great option for many companies, but can be quite costly.  The challenge is providing the right solution to provide maximum efficiency and affordability for your business.

Our scanning division at Richards & Richards is here to provide you with a cost efficient solution based on the activity level of your files.  If you already have a document management system, we can scan your files to the appropriate format to fit that system.  If you do not have a document management system we would recommend you try our web-based repository to manage and access your digital files.
Contact us today for a consultation and see if document scanning is the right solution for your business>>

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO




Customer Service
Manual Online!

The Customer Service Manual is your ultimate guide in how to do business with Richards & Richards.  Updated copies are always available on our website. Use the link below to go to the Clients Only section of the website to obtain a download of the manual or any forms you need.

Clients Only Webpage

If you need to obtain a password, please send an email here and one will be provided shortly.




Free
Shred Day!

Richards & Richards in cooperation with the Nashville Better Business Bureau invites everyone, individuals and small businesses alike to destroy their confidential documents securely for one day only – at no cost! 

Location:   1741 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville
Date:        Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
Hours:       10am – 2pm

There is no limit to how much you can bring – so fill your car, truck or van! Paper only this day – no plastics (binder clips ok).

We will not be accepting managed boxes at this event. 

For directions click here >>>


September 21st   RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 19th        RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 22nd      Free Shred Day

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.





 
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August 2011

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The Heat is On!

The temperatures are sweltering and we're all trying to stay cool.  It's hard to stay cool when you are sitting over a shredder all day. 

Save your money and your employees sanity, let us come pick up the files you need shredded this summer.  The time you pay your employee and the cost of constantly replacing an office shredder add up in a hurry.  Why not send it to our “monster” shredder for a fraction of the cost?

Contact us today for an estimate!

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO


The best way to help us manage your records is to keep us updated on changes at your company.  Use the link below to go to the Clients Only section of the website to obtain the update forms.

Clients Only Webpage

If you need to obtain a password, please send an email here and one will be provided shortly.




Happy
Labor Day!
 
Richards & Richards
will be closed
September 5, 2011
in observance of the holiday


August 24th        RRWeb Lunch & Learn

September 24th   RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 22nd      Free Shred Day

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.




Are You Prepared for a
Data Breach?

With all the news articles over the past few months covering data breaches, I wonder how many small and medium-sized businesses are prepared to handled such a security event.  Many of the businesses I have worked with do not have emergency plans, contingency plans, or disaster recovery plans for the natural disasters that could affect a business, let alone man-made events like a data breach.

For more Information click here >>>>


Congratulations!

Bowman Richards and his wife Lauren welcomed their first baby into the world on July 26, 2011

Elizabeth “Joye” Richards

Please join us in welcoming the newest edition to the Richards' family!



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June 2011

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Summer is Here!

The cicadas are gone and the time to enjoy the outdoors has arrived.  We're all out cleaning and updating our yards with new flowers and plants.

While we are updating there – it is a good time to review your security listings here.  We recommend doing this on a regular basis to be sure that only current employees are listed and that everyone has the proper security levels. 

If you need to request a report of who is currently on your list, click here >>>

To download the form for updating your list, click here >>

All of us here at Richards & Richards send our best wishes to you and yours for a safe and enjoyable Independence Day!

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO


  • Look up your deposit information automatically through the internet.
  • Index your file and box information directly into our database, so you see what we see.
  • Request pick-up and delivery services.
  • Verify or edit destruction dates for your containers.
  • Request specific, unique reports.
  • Best of all – this program is provided to you at No Cost


Free sessions are held the 3rd Wednesday of each month and lunch is provided.

Space is limited so please RSVP to reserve a place here>>>>




Thank you to those that attended our
Scanning Open House! 




Records Retention Strategies


Like it or not, all of an organization’s recorded information is potentially discoverable in a court-ordered legal discovery or regulatory investigation. This means all recorded information needs to be  managed for retention purposes throughout its  life-cycle depending on its legal, regulatory, industry,  and business value/risk.

Because records retention compliance begins with  employees who create, receive, and use records,  organizations are searching for ways to make it  easier for them to classify records into the correct  retention categories.

One solution for helping employees is to use a “big bucket” strategy for simplifying records retention schedules by consolidating record types.

To download a white paper on records retention click here >>>

If you do not have a retention policy, contact us here for help from one of our NAID Toolkit Certified representatives >>>


Our offices will be closed
July 4, 2011
in observance of
Independence Day.


June 15th        RRWeb Lunch & Learn

July 20th         RRWeb Lunch & Learn

Shred Day details available at link.  All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.



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April 2011

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Thank you Legal Admins!
We had a great time seeing all of our friends at the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Spring Retreat!  It is a treat for us to see you all each year – from those that have been working with us for many years to our new faces.  

This year we all played Xbox 360 Knect together at the booth – rafting the rapids from the exhibit floor!  At the end of the conference we had a drawing for it and the winner was – Debbie from Winters Patent Law Offices in Clarksville.  She was very excited to win and her husband was very grateful – we received the following note from him regarding it and were so moved we wanted to share with all of you – click here to read it >>>>

 

Prevent Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.  The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans are victims of identity theft annually.

Identity thieves use a variety of methods to obtain information, including:

Dumpster diving, rummaging through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
Skimming, in which credit or debit card numbers are stolen by using a special storage device when processing a card.
Phishing, in which thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Changing an address, to divert one’s billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
Pretexting, in which thieves use false pretenses to obtain personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies and other sources.

To read more about preventing identity theft click here >>>

Be sure to check out our Free Shred Day on April 16th as a great prevention method.  For information on regular shred service click here >>>

Free Shred Day!

Richards & Richards in cooperation with the Nashville Better Business Bureau invites everyone, individuals and small businesses alike to destroy their confidential documents securely for one day only – at no cost! 

Location:   1741 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville
Date:        Saturday, April 16th, 2011
Hours:       10am – 2pm

We will not be accepting managed boxes at this event.

For directions click here >>>

 


Congratulations!

Two of our drivers, Hishyar and Hasan are new dads this month- one girl and one boy respectively!  We are so happy for them this is the first child for each of them and we are glad to have them in the Richards & Richards family.

 


April 16th           Free Shred Day

April 20th           RRWeb Lunch & Learn

May 18th           RRWeb Lunch & Learn

All seminars are free to our clients and are held from 12pm – 1:30pm with limited attendance.  Spaces will be held on a first come/first serve basis.  RSVP by clicking the link on the date you would like above.

 

 

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December 2010

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The New Year is Almost Here!

The Holidays are upon us, a time of family and friends; reflection and renewal.  As we think about completing existing projects and starting a fresh new year, we hope that you will think about some of our suggested resolutions for your business!

Resolution #1 –
I will follow my retention schedule.
This is important for your company to destroy your records according to the schedule to stay in compliance on privacy laws and federal audit regulations.  Make this a priority in 2011 – to contact us to schedule destruction or request a report to review your containers for destruction click here>>

Resolution #2 –
I will manage my records effectively.
This may mean mixing your current records management system with imaging and online storage.  A solid computer back-up system shoud be in place with your tapes secured or your information being sent to multiple locations via remote connection.
Click here if you would like one of our representatives to do a needs analysis for you >>

Resolution #3 –
I will update who can access my files.
Your security list on file with us at Richards & Richards is how we know who can access and request your information.  If this is out of date, terminated employees may be listed.  This is a problem for your security. 
Contact us here if you need a list of who is currently authorized on your account>>
If you need to update this list, click here for the form>>

These are great resolutions for the New Year.  We hope these ideas will help you and your company start 2011 off right.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Richards & Richards!

Sincerely,

Steve Richards
President & CEO




Benefits of Off-Site Data Storage

Have you, as a business owner, ever stopped to think what you would do if all of your important records and data were destroyed? And have you considered what the likelihood of that happening might be? Fire, flood, hurricane, theft, and vandalism are just a few of the disasters that could potentially damage or void your stored media.  Be sure you are considering how and where your data is stored to protect your business.  Click here for more information >>

As a business owner, this type of data loss can be catastrophic.  Click here for information on how data loss can affect your company >>


Our office will be closed on
Thursday, Dec. 23rd,
Friday, Dec. 24th
and
Friday, Dec. 31st
in observance of the holidays.

Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 
Wishing you and your family a very blessed holiday season!



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November 2010

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Fall is Here!

Fall has finally arrived in Middle Tennessee!  As the weather grows cooler it is time to think about year end and auditing your account information.

Three main items should be reviewed before year end:

1.  Security List
This is a good time to review everyone on your list and be sure that all employees are current and that their access level is appropriate for their current position.  These may have changed throughout the year and are vital to the security of your records.  
To contact customer service for your current list click here>>>>
To download a form to make changes click here>>>

2.  Box Status
Do you have boxes that you have taken out that will never be returned?  Until Richards & Richards is informed that an item is not coming back to us, we are tracking it and you are incurring unnecessary charges. 
Contact customer service here to inquire if you have any boxes that are currently out >>>
If you would like to gain online access to check this yourself click here>>>>>

3.  Destruction Dates
Have you audited your boxes to be sure everything was destroyed per your retention schedule?  It is important to be sure you are following your retention policy to stay in compliance with all current privacy and regulatory legislation.  
To request destruction click here>>>
To obtain information on creating a destruction policy for your company click here>>>>

Our services are available to you in all of this end of the year clean up.  Please take a few minutes to review.  A well maintained records system will keep your business running smooth all year.

Sincerely,

Steve Richards
President & CEO




Improved Data Accessibility Adds Revenue

A study conducted by Sybase, an SAP company, in conjunction with the University of Texas and the Indian School of Business revealed that relatively small adjustments and investments made to improve data accessibility and use can promote revenue, growth, and innovation.

The three-part study, titled “Measuring the Business Impacts of Effective Data,” reviewed large global corporations and surveyed their positions and plans for data management systems.

For more information click here >>>>


Our office will be closed on
Thursday, Nov. 25th
and
Friday, Nov. 26th
in observance of the holiday.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 
We are thankful for you and hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.



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October 2010

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Richards & Richards
on the Cover of Secure Destruction Business Magazine this Month! 

Our President & CEO, Steve Richards spoke with them about “Sweating the Small Things”.  Our philosophy for customer service, complete records management bundle offerings and the constant striving for improvement are highlighted. 

Click here to read more about Richards & Richards >>>>>




Spooky October!

Are records disappearing at your office?  We could blame ghosts, ghouls or goblins – it is that time!  However, we can combat those nasty gremlins with some good records management practices.

How much time do you lose to the elusive file each day? Are you spending top dollar for a storage area for just your inactive files? Managed storage is usually cheaper that the mini-storage alternatives and makes your files easy to retrieve!


Combat the missing and hard to find file by:
Creating a good inventory
Storing in a good quality box
and
Storing in a managed facility! 

What about your computers?  Are you creating good back-ups and storing them in a safe location?  The goblins like your electronic files too! 

Letting an employee take your back-up tapes home exposes you to all sorts of data loss risks including theft or damage from extreme temperatures.  The cost of a data breach or the loss of your computer data is something most small businesses do not survive. 

Be sure your tapes are being handled correctly and securely – like with a DataVault Service

Let us help you create a records management system that works.  No more looking through boxes for the misplaced file or trying to retrieve missing data from damaged backup tapes!  Contact us today to schedule a consultation!




Free Shred Day!

Richards & Richards in cooperation with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Better Business Bureau and Zander Insurance invites everyone, individuals and small businesses alike to destroy their confidential documents securely for one day only – at no cost! 

Location:   1741 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville
Date:        Saturday, October 23, 2010
Hours:       10am – 2pm

The Metropolitan Police Fraud Unit will be on hand along with Zander Insurance providing information on how to protect yourselves from identity theft.

For directions click here >>>




Is Your Company Destined to Make Headlines for Its Handling of Sensitive Records and Information?

Making headlines can be a good thing – unless it's because an organization has mishandled its sensitive records and information. Just ask Affiliated Computer Services, Radio Shack, TJX, the most recent examples of this apparent phenomenon.

On March 28, TJX revealed that hackers accessed credit card and debit card information for almost 46 million customers in 2005 and 2006, plus driver's license numbers and other personal information for an additional 451,000 customers who returned merchandise. It's being called the biggest financial breach ever.

Hackers accessed credit card and debit card information for almost 46 million customers in 2005 and 2006, plus driver's license numbers and other personal information for an additional 451,000 customers who returned merchandise. It's being called the biggest financial breach ever.

Click here for more information >>>>>>



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2010 Richards & Richards

1741 Elm Hill Pike Nashville, TN 37210-5717