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Free Shred Day

 

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!  This is part of the Better Business Bureau’s nationwide “Secure Your ID Days”.



Location:   1741 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville

Date:         Saturday, April 20, 2013

Hours:       9am – 1pm (PLEASE NOTE – NEW TIME)

What:        Free Paper Shredding!


There are over 300 identity fraud related arrests made every year. Over 300 more of identity thieves end up in prison.

Nearly 12 million people are affected by identity fraud each year and nearly 3 million of those identities are that of deceased people(yes, dead!). Seems like no one is safe from identity fraud.

Research conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research say that although the amount of money stolen due to identity fraud has remained steady, identity fraud itself has increased by more than 13% in the last year alone.

We want to help the community protect themselves from this type of theft.  So, pack up as much paper as you want – in boxes, cars or trucks and bring it to our location.  We’ll shred it all for free!

Note – This does not apply to boxes currently under management within the Richards & Richards records storage division.

February 2013

 







Electronic Records -
No Longer the Future

Converting paper records by scanning, for more and more, is becoming a mandate not a choice.

Doctors led the way being the first group mandated to convert their records.  Deadlines are fast approaching for this to be completed before penalties begin.  For physicians who either have not adopted certified EHR / EMR systems or cannot demonstrate “meaningful use” by the EMR deadline in 2015, Medicare reimbursements will be reduced. (For more information click here)

Now federal government agencies are on deadline to complete a conversion.  Federal agencies have until the end of 2019 to adopt systems that store and manage all electronic records in formats that will keep them safe and searchable for future generations, according to a White House directive released Friday.

Agencies have until the end of 2016 to store all email in electronic formats and until Nov. 15, 2012, to appoint a senior official responsible for beefing up their electronic records management programs. (For more information click here)

Scanning of records accurately and in a searchable format is an intricate task.  Richards & Richards has a professional scanning division, with 2 quality check points on every document as well as professionals that can work with you in getting the images into a format that will work with your system.

Please contact us if we can be of service.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO





What is
Cloud Backup?

With the growing amount information being generated every day, you face a daunting truth: without your data, you have no business. That’s why it’s so critical to now have a modern and dependable system in place to safeguard your data.

Please attend our Cloud Storage Workshop that will help you understand what cloud backup is and the questions you should be asking about it.  This knowledge will allow you to make better business and IT decisions for business continuity and disaster recovery.  Sign up here >>>



February 15th   RRWeb Lunch & Learn
                               (12p-1:30p)

February 20th   Cloud Back-up Workshop
                              (8:30a-9:30a)

March 21st        RRWeb Lunch & Learn
                                (12p-1:30p)

All workshops and seminars are free to our clients 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.





Changes to HIPAA Privacy
and Security Rules Finalized

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced changes Jan. 17, 2013, designed to strengthen the privacy and security protections for health information established under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
 
According to HHS, the final omnibus rule enhances a patient’s privacy protections, provides individuals new rights to their health information and strengthens the agency’s ability to enforce the law.
 
This final rule is effective March 26, 2013. Covered entities and business associates must comply with the applicable requirements of this final rule by Sept. 23, 2013.
 
This omnibus final rule is comprised of the following four final rules:
 

  • Business associates of covered entities are directly liable for compliance with certain of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules’ requirements.
  • Incorporation of the increased and tiered civil money penalty structure provided by the HITECH Act.
  • Replacement of the breach notification rule’s “harm” threshold with a more objective standard.
  • Prohibits most health plans from using or disclosing genetic information for underwriting purposes.

Click here for full article >>>



Are you having trouble finding a list of everything you just entered into RRWeb?

The boxes are sitting in your office, you've entered them into the inventory and you'd like to request us to come pick them up.

The easiest way – is in Quick Search!  Just choose the predefined query for “Pending Items' and that should pull up a full list of what is there in your office.







 


December 2012

 







Holiday Celebrations!

It has been a banner year for Richards & Richards as we have celebrated 25 years of serving you!

If you have been by our location, you have noticed construction going on.  Our exterior has received a facelift and we are currently working on interior changes to better serve you.

Coming in the next year you will see brand new access areas!  These will allow multiple clients to work during the same hours in their own private workspace.

We've been blessed this year with many marriages,new babies and safely returning deployed military family members amongst the Richards & Richards employee family (including my new grandson Warren Bray – click here for pictures from this proud grandpa!)

We've also been blessed with amazing clients – and would like to take this moment to say thank you for your business and wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
 
Steve Richards
President & CEO





Be Fire Safe This Season

According to the Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department, candles account for nearly 10,000 home fires and approximately 100 deaths every year.

In order to help ensure that your family has a safe and enjoyable holiday season, observe the following fire safety tips:

  • Never leave candles unattended and always place them on a non-combustible surface.
  • When it’s time to place your luminaries, battery operated tea lights are highly recommended.
  • If deep frying a turkey, only use outdoors. Never use a turkey fryer on a deck or in the garage. Last year alone, turkey fryers accounted for over 1,400 home fires.
  • Hold off on bringing that natural Christmas tree indoors as long as you can, and ensure that the stand is filled with water at all times.
  • Never run electrical cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.
  • Use extreme caution when utilizing auxiliary heating devices in your home.
  • Be sure that all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries and are operating properly.

Click here for more information >>>





Medical Records:
After Retirement

Below is the beginning of a wonderful article by Anne Sumpter Arney regarding the process of transitioning medical records when a physician retires:

During the life of their active practice of medicine, physicians must meet obligations to a variety of stake holders, their patients, their partners, their employer, the payors and the regulators.  In the transition to retirement or when you decide to leave the practice of medicine, physicians must wind down these relationships and meet specific contractual and legal obligations. For rest of the article, click here >>>

Richards & Richards provides services for doctors that wish to not worry about the requirements of copying patient records in their retirement.  We provide full service solutions so physicians can transition the records and know that they will be properly maintained and distributed for their retention period.  More information on this service can be found here >>



Richards & Richards
will be closed
December 24 & 25
and
January 1
in observance of
the Holidays








November 2012

 







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





 

Richards & Richards
will be closed
November 22 and 23
in observance of
Thanksgiving





Creating Mobile Device Security
for the Workplace

A steep rise in identity and data theft due to lost or stolen mobile devices is expected, according to a September 28 article at infosecurity-magazine.com. 

Juniper Research claims that only 5% of smartphones and tablets have security software installed. This percentage is especially significant because of the growing number of organizations allowing the mingling of corporate and personal data on employee-owned devices. The report predicts that employee-owned devices used in the workplace will total nearly 350 million by 2017.

The Security of Business Innovation Council, supported by EMC’s security arm, released new guidelines in the report titled “Realizing the Mobile Enterprise: Balancing the Risks and Rewards of Consumer Devices.

The mixing of mobile devices and corporate data can lead to lost or stolen devices, malware attacks, advanced mobile risks, and risky end-user behavior, according to the report.

The report offers several tips for organizations to get on top of the issue, including “start with truly enterprise-wide governance,” “build core competencies in mobile app security,” and more.

To read more, click here >>>>





The Myth of the
Paperless Office

Technology promised to deliver us from paper for good, but we’re actually using more than ever before.

A common assumption in the back of every tech-head’s mind is that their use of technology is good for the environment, particularly in saving paper.

Back in April, The Economist blew everyone’s minds by proclaiming that instead of worldwide paper consumption decreasing with all of our new gadgets and toys, it has actually increased by half since 1980. Americans consume 5.57 40-foot trees worth of paper per person each year.

To read more – click here>>>>







October 2012

 







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.  Contact us today to schedule a consultation!

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

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Richards

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO



October 17th       RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 20th       Free Shred Day!

November 14th    RRWeb Lunch & Learn

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held at our facility at 1741 Elm Hill Pike in Nashville 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.





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, Octob
er 20th, 2012
Hours:        9am – 1pm

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 >>>






Increase in Data Breaches

An early-August article appearing on CSOOnline.com expresses great concern not only with the increasing numbers and types of data breaches in the federal government, but also with the government’s failure to notify quickly those whose information has been compromised.

A July 2012 report from the U.S. Government Accounting Office that says federal data breaches of personally identifiable information (PII) increased by 19% from 2010 to 2011. Too often, the victims of breaches are not notified for months. 

Industry experts largely agree the problem with late notifications stems from the lack of a single standard. There are 46 state laws, each with its own language, and those that exist within the federal government differ from agency to agency. The National Conference of State Legislatures provides links to states’ data breach notification laws at this website >>

To read more – click here>>>>







 


September 2012

 

Digital Media – When is it truly irrecoverable?

Your digital media (hard drives, back-up tapes, CD/DVD, USB drives, etc.) can contain hundreds, if not thousands of records containing proprietary customer information.  Making sure it is completely destroyed is vitally important to your business.

Failure to complete a secure destruction of these items can result in serious organizational security.  HIPAA allows fines up to $250K for each violation, Gramm-Leach-Bliley allows for $100K for each violation – fines like these alone could be catastrophic for your business.  Don't forget the cost to your company in negative press and legal fees.

As Nashville's Media Destruction Specialist, we are uniquely qualified to help you with this process.  We are the only company in Nashville that is AAA NAID certified for Media and Hard Drive Destruction, which means:

  • • All employees are background checked
  • • Destruction process is video recorded
  • • Recordings maintained for 90 days
  • • Platter and case are fully destroyed
  • • Serial numbers are scanned and recorded
  • • Log of all drives destroyed is maintained
  • • Notarized Certificate of Destruction provided

For more information contact us here >>

ARMA Annual Fall Seminar

October 11, 2012

Building a Compliant
Records Management Program

Guest Speaker:  Randy Kahn, Esq.

This seminar will focus on structuring your Records Program to adequately protect your organization.  The Seven Steps of a Compliant Records Management Program addressed in this session are based on Mr. Kahn's recently released book, Second Edition, Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information Management Compliance. Having a Records Management program is better than not having anything at all, but it may not be enough to protect you and your company.  This seminar will help attendees build compliance into each aspect of their Records and Information Management program.

Randy Kahn, Esq., is a recognized authority on the legal, compliance and policy issues of business information, records management, electronic records, e-business processes, and information technology.

Cost: $99, lunch included

Click here to register

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 20th, 2012
Hours: 9am – 1pm

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 >>>

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.

September 26th   RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 11th       ARMA Fall Seminar

October 17th       RRWeb Lunch & Learn

October 20th       Free Shred Day!

All lunch and learn seminars are free to our clients and are held at our facility at 1741 Elm Hill Pike in Nashville 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.


 

August 2012

 





Watch Your Data
 
A quick search of the internet will provide you with tens, maybe even hundreds, of ideas for re-purposing an old PC, but time, space and/or a limited budget will lead most to the final decision of trashing that old PC.  If you’ve come to this decision, then you have most likely asked yourself (and others) “what should I do with the hard drive?”  No doubt you have heard the horror stories and rumors of information stolen from discarded drives and are aware of the potential dangers of simply tossing that hard drive out on the curb. 

Just in case you haven’t, you should know that throwing an old drive out is the equivalent of tossing out your wallet, with all of your credit cards and ID still in it – or worse all of your client's credit cards and ID! 

The average cost of a corporate data breach is $5.5 million per the Ponemon Institute and Symantec Research report for 2011.  

The best way to protect you and your company is to remove and shred the hard drive. 

We are the only company in Middle Tennessee that is AAA NAID certified for hard drive and media destruction.  Meaning – we are the best option for secure destruction of your digital media.  Please contact us here if you would like more information >>>

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO





For RRWeb Users!
Getting odd error messages that don't make any sense?  Logins and changing screens is difficult?  What browser are you using? Our system is designed specifically to be used with Internet Explorer and that will give you the best results.

For Records Storage Clients!
Have you requested a large pick-up of boxes, several days in advance of the pick-up date?  Recount your boxes the day before -  you may be surprised that they may have multiplied.  Let us know so we can adjust our truck space to get them all in one pick-up.





Information Leaks
When Employees Leave

What happens to your information assets when an employee leaves your organization? Is there a chance that the data could be leaving the company along with the employee?

An article in the Globe and Mail reports on a Ponemon Institute study that indicates nearly 60% of employees steal company information when they leave or are fired.

In addition to information being pilfered by departing employees, it can be leaked through e-mail transmissions or even through employees’ “sharing” on social networking sites. Is there anything an organization can do to protect itself?

Click here for more information >>>>

At Richards & Richards, we would like to remind you to verify the status of any employee leaving your organization whose name may be on our security list – and if so, to immediately notify us to delete them from your security list.

For a current Security List Click Here >>>>





We will be
Closed
September 3rd
in Observance of
Labor Day



Aug 15th         RRWeb Lunch & Learn

Sept 3rd          Labor Day – Holiday

Sept 26th        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.





July 2012

 







Serving You Better
 
We work everyday to find new and better ways to assist you in all of your records management needs. 

Our customer service team handles your requests and confidential material as quickly and as accurately as possible on a daily basis.

In the interest of better serving you, please remember the following when requesting services:

  • Have an accurate box count if we are picking up boxes.  If you add more boxes than what was requested, there may be additional charges.
  • If you are sending some boxes to be destroyed, please mark them on the end in a red magic marker.
  • Be sure that the person requesting the service has the authority to do so.  If they do not, it may cause a delay in service while we verify the order.

As always, the mission of Richards & Richards is your uncompromising customer satisfaction.  Your assistance helps us meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.

R. Stephen Richards
President & CEO



RRFiler Users!
  
When was the last time you updated your RRFiler files?  Have you opened them since your last computer upgrades?  If not, you could be in danger of losing vital information.

RRFiler is an inventory system that has been provided to many of you that resides on your system and functions inside of Microsoft Access.  (This is not the same as RRWeb which you log into through the internet)

Please take time this month to complete two items with your RRFiler data.

  1. Open RRFiler in your current version of Microsoft Access.  Please save a copy of your data to a safe location before opening the original file.
  2. Consider converting your RRFiler information to the RRWeb system. 

RRWeb provides the same inventory capability as RRFiler, but resides on our system so maintenance will be completed by Richards & Richards. 

If you need assistance in updating or converting, please contact us here>>>>



Social Media:
To Snoop or Not to Snoop?

Research firm Gartner says digital surveillance in the workplace on the rise, with around 60 percent of companies aiming to increase a formal presence on social network to monitor their staff.

Employees are increasingly under the watchful eyes of their managers in and out of the workplace in a bid to curb breaches in corporate security.

Research firm Gartner said by 2015, around 60 percent of corporations will have programs in place to monitor social media accounts — including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn — for security breaches and data leaks.

Traditionally, companies have taken the ‘internal’ approach to monitor activities within the corporate domain. Gartner suggests looking at both inside and outside the enterprise zone would lead to a more effective solution.

Yet there are times when a company can push things too far.

If a manager views a public and open Facebook profile to determine the sexuality or marital status of an employee that would violate employment privacy and equal opportunity laws.  And then there is the accidental factor.

For More Information Click Here >>>>





Richards & Richards
is now
Privacy+ Certified
by
                PRISM International


Click here for more information>>>



July 18th         RRWeb Lunch & Learn

Aug 15th         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.





May 2012

 







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. 







 


January 2012

 

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.


 

2013 Richards & Richards

1741 Elm Hill Pike Nashville, TN 37210-5717