i-SIGMA Releases New White Paper on the Critical Importance of NAID AAA Certification for GPOs

Phoenix, AZ — 17 December, 2024 — The International Secure Information Governance & Management Association® (i-SIGMA®) has announced the release of its latest white paper, The Critical Importance of i-SIGMA’s NAID AAA Certification for Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs). This comprehensive guide highlights the indispensable role of i-SIGMA’s NAID AAA Certification in promoting secure information destruction, compliance, and risk mitigation within the industry.

“As organizations face increasing challenges in safeguarding sensitive data, it’s essential to adopt rigorous standards for secure information disposal,” said W. Price Brannon, Director of Certification at i-SIGMA. “Our white paper equips GPOs with the insights they need to make informed decisions, ensuring the highest levels of security and operational excellence.”

Key Insights from the White Paper:

• Enhanced Security Standards: A detailed overview of the NAID AAA Certification’s role in enforcing best practices for security, privacy, and accountability.
• Audit and Inspection Protocols: Insights into the importance of scheduled and unannounced audits for maintaining compliance.
• Risk Mitigation and Financial Benefits: Guidance on reducing exposure to data breaches and avoiding costly legal and reputational damage.
• Actionable Recommendations: Practical steps for integrating certification and audits into GPO due diligence processes.

The white paper also sheds light on the financial impacts of data breaches, including direct penalties, operational disruptions, and long-term reputational damage. By aligning with NAID AAA Certified partners, GPOs can demonstrate a tangible commitment to compliance, security, and sustainability.

Availability

The white paper, The Critical Importance of i-SIGMA’s NAID AAA Certification for Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), is now available for download:

About i-SIGMA:

The International Secure Information Governance & Management Association (i-SIGMA®) is the industry trade association for secure data destruction and records & information management service providers. i-SIGMA enforces standards and ethical compliance for approximately 2,500 service providers on six continents and currently maintains the most rigorous and widely accepted data-security vendor-compliance certifications, NAID AAA Certification® and PRISM Privacy+ Certification®, with hundreds of governments and thousands of private contracts using the programs to meet their regulatory due diligence requirements.

Media Contact

Contact: Gina Lentine, CSDS

Title: Vice President of Marketing & Events

Phone: 602-788-6243 x2008

Email: glentine@isigmaonline.org

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i-SIGMA announced the recipients of multiple awards, including the Service Provider Member Representative and Corporate Partner Member Representative of the Year Awards and the Robert Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this month at the i-SIGMA 2024 Conference in Nashville,TN. Rod Ivey of RecordXpress (Coquitlam, BC) was awarded with the Service Provider Member Representative of the Year Award. Cory Layes of Bins4 Shredding (Barrie, ON) was awarded with the Corporate Partner Member Representative of the Year Award.

In the tradition of i-SIGMA, every year the association’s Executive Committee singles out individuals with the presentation of the Service Provider Member Representative and Corporate Member Representative of the Year Awards.

Rod Ivey has served on the i-SIGMA Resolution Council, Certification Support Committee, Nominating Committee, and other committees as needed. Rod has been extremely proactive in the certification process for his own company and has taken the initiative to help others with their certification. He has even taken over the certification department in his company to ensure that process and policy was being followed correctly according to standards. Rod is always willing and helpful to be a resource to provide insights or assist with furthering the association or industry.

Cory Layes has served on the i-SIGMA Conference Committee for several years. Cory attends Shred School every year and is an active participant and contributor to the classroom conversations. He communicates with clients and other corporate partners about i-SIGMA and our events; promoting through his own social media and emails about i-SIGMA. He is always ready to jump in and help when needed, including providing industry images, insights for articles, volunteering, or assisting in furthering the industry as a whole.

Historically, the association has on occasion bestowed the President’s Award upon individuals who have achieved substantial contributions of outstanding significance in their life. Last year, the President’s Award was re-named as the “Robert Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award.” It is a representation for all the hardworking professionals in the information destruction industry who have a critical role in adhering to the standards governed by i-SIGMA to protect the confidentiality and privacy of our members’ clients.

The second recipient of the Robert Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to R. Stephen Richards of Richards & Richards (Nashville, TN, USA) for his stellar leadership and continual contributions to i-SIGMA and the industry.

R. Stephen Richards has been instrumental in the association’s success over the years. Richards created a Crisis Committee under the Association of Records Centers (ARC), which eventually became PRISM International and then i-SIGMA. This committee was made up of those who had been through a disaster already, and members could contact them immediately upon a fire, tornado, roof failure, etc. The committee assisted those going through the crisis with practical advice. In addition to this, Richards has served as President for the NAID Board of Directors and was active under both PRISM International and NAID, serving on committees for both legacy associations. Due to his help with the successful merger of the associations, Richards was recognized in 2019 with a special award for his help with the merger of NAID and PRISM International.

i-SIGMA would like to congratulate all the award winners. We cannot wait to see what they do this year!

The post 2024 i-SIGMA Award Winners Announced appeared first on i-SIGMA.

Look for a year-end parlimentary break update to this article in the upcoming iG Journal.

Unless you live in Vancouver or Victoria, Groundhog Day in Canada is a misleading concept: regardless of whether the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, you are safe to assume six more weeks of winter. 

However, for those who follow the never-ending effort to update Canada’s private sector privacy law, it is starting to feel like the movie Groundhog Day, where time and again stakeholders see the process repeat itself: a bill is introduced, it languishes on the Parliamentary agenda, an election is called, the bill dies, and the process starts over. 

With growing speculation of a federal election in 2024, this could happen again, meaning further delays in updating Canada’s privacy framework – a process that began in 2017. 

Whither Bill C-27? 

The Federal Government introduced Bill C-27 on June 17, 2022.  This bill replaces Canada’s existing private sector privacy legislation, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), with a new framework.  It is the most significant overhaul of the law since its introduction in 2000. 

Bill C-27 contains three acts.  The first establishes the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and includes making privacy a fundamental right; requiring organizations have a privacy management program; mandating that organizations dispose of information once no longer necessary; and codifying a breach notification provision, amongst many other items.  

The second creates the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, which will be a new body to facilitate enforcement of the above.   

The third is the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, which contains new rules for development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems. 

Bill C-27 also gives the Privacy Commissioner order-making powers and lays out a framework for fines – up to 5% of global revenue or $25 million, whichever is greatest, for serious offences.  The Privacy Commissioner can recommend fines, while the Tribunal would ultimately decide on them. 

The Bill’s legislative path has not been a speedy one.  After being introduced on June 17, 2022, it did not begin Second Reading debate until November 2022, and it did not pass that stage until April 2023, when it was referred to the House of Commons Industry Committee.  Hearings at the latter did not begin until September, though have occurred regularly through the fall.   

However, the Minister responsible has presented significant amendments, which will take time to review.  As a result, it is unlikely the Bill will get out of Committee and through Third Reading in the House before Christmas.  And once through the House, the Bill must pass these same legislative stages in the Senate.  

If there is a spring election, there is a very good chance Bill C-27 will not pass beforehand.   

Déjà-vu All Over Again?      

If this happens, it will be history repeating itself.  A previous version of this Bill (C-11) was introduced in the House on November 17, 2020.  That Bill never concluded Second Reading and was killed when an election was called on August 15, 2021. 

Bill C-11 had stemmed from a Parliamentary Committee review of PIPEDA that began in February 2017 and concluded a year later.  It was in May 2019 that the Government announced its plans to act on that review with amendments to PIPEDA – the ones that came over a year later in Bill C-11. 

In effect, therefore, the timeline from the Committee review that led to C-11 to where Parliament sits today with Bill C-27 has already taken over six years.  If C-27 is not passed before February 2024, it will be seven years.  And if an election interrupts the process again, there will be further delays. 

What Next? 

There is some good news for those hoping the law will finally be updated: all parties in the House seem to agree that the privacy portions of Bill C-27 should be passed expeditiously (to the degree anything in Parliament is expeditious).   

The challenge will be getting agreement on a final text when the witnesses have ranged from those who suggest Bill C-27 is solid legislation that can be improved with a few amendments, to those who claim it is an abomination and should be scrapped and the process start over.  The former is much more likely, but if and when it gets through the House, a similarly protracted review is likely in the Senate.  Witnesses appearing before Committee have asked for 2-3 years for implementation.   

i-SIGMA has already filed a written submission to the House Industry Committee on the Bill and will do so again in the Senate.  Ideally, this will help inform a strengthened law that will be passed some time in 2024.   

Bill C-27 is inching closer to the finish line, but beware of groundhogs coming in the form of elections. 

Duncan Rayner is Vice President of Temple Scott Associates, a government relations and public affairs firm based in Ottawa and Toronto. 

The post Groundhog Day for Canadian Privacy Legislation?  appeared first on i-SIGMA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Phoenix, Ariz., 26 July 2022 – The International Secure Information Governance & Management Association (i-SIGMA®) is proud to announce that Nathan (Nate) Campbell will become the organization’s Chief Executive Officer effective 1 August.  

No stranger to the challenges facing i-SIGMA members, Campbell returns to the association as CEO after having served on the board of directors for both NAID and PRISM International, the two trade associations which merged to found i-SIGMA in 2018. He brings more than 25 years of executive leadership specifically in the information governance space, first from Recall and more recently Access. Campbell comes to i-SIGMA as President of Rylyn Associates, offering Go-to-Marketing business consulting plans, with a proven track record in organizational growth. Campbell is also a Stanford University Executive Program graduate.  

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone with Nate’s industry acumen and energy leading the association,” said i-SIGMA Succession Resources Committee Chair, Patrick DeVries, CSDS. “Finding someone with the knowledge and dedication to follow in the founder’s footsteps was a tall order,” continued DeVries, “and we are confident we found the right person.” 

The announcement of Campbell’s appointment comes after an exhaustive search that began last year when NAID founder and current i-SIGMA CEO Robert (Bob) Johnson, CSDS announced his intentions to step down. 

“I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the NAID and i-SIGMA success stories over the past 27 years,” said Johnson, “and it is very gratifying to pass that baton to Nate. He has the drive, the intelligence, and the talent to take the organization to the next level.” 

Commenting on his new role, Campbell expressed excitement over facing the challenges ahead. “While it is both humbling and daunting to be stepping into the shoes of an industry icon,” said the information governance business expert, “both Bob and the board have impressed on me their belief that i-SIGMA is just getting started. For now, my plan is to put my head down, roll up my sleeves, and make sure we’re continuing to put members’ interests first.” 

ABOUT i-SIGMA
The International Secure Information Governance & Management Association (i-SIGMA®) is the industry trade association for secure data destruction and records & information management service providers. i-SIGMA enforces standards and ethical compliance for approximately 2,500 service providers on six continents and currently maintains the most rigorous and widely accepted data-security vendor-compliance certifications, NAID AAA Certification® and PRISM Privacy+ Certification®, with hundreds of governments and thousands of private contracts using the programs to meet their regulatory due diligence requirements. www.isigmaonline.org 

Media Contact:
Kelly Martínez, CSDS
kmartinez@isigmaonline.org
+1 602-788-6243, ext. 2008 

The post i-SIGMA Appoints New CEO  appeared first on i-SIGMA.

According to the release, among the features of the combined DCIA are:

• Increased control and transparency when Data Subjects personal information is handled by organizations;
• Freedom for Data Subjects to move their information from one organization to another in a secure manner;
• Ensuring that Data Subjects can request that their information be disposed of when it is no longer needed;
• Providing the Privacy Commissioner of Canada with broad order-making powers, including the ability to order a company to stop collecting data or using personal information; and
• Establishing significant fines for non-compliant organizations—with fines of up to 5% of global revenue or $25 million, whichever is greater, for the most serious offences.

According to i-SIGMA CEO Bob Johnson, CSDS, the proposed bill in one more example of the regulatory global trend toward increased Data Subject rights.  “It is clear that around the world Data Subjects are being empowered to exercise control of their personal information, which, in turn, will put increasing pressure on organizations to respond and demonstrate due diligence.”

Johnson added, “It may take a while for Data Subjects to appreciate and wield these new powers, but it is only a matter of time.”

Learn More About These New Privacy Laws >>

The post Canadian Bill Proposes to Upgrade Country’s Data Protection Regime appeared first on i-SIGMA.

While the full testimony is linked below, Mr. Perrotta focused on the association’s decades long history of working in Canada and around the world on such regulations, as well as the importance of better defining data destruction requirements. For his part, Johnson focused on the importance of greater enforcement as the most effective way to assure personal information is protected.

As reflected in the testimony, though FIPPA applies only to the provincial government’s access and protection of information, it is essential that the i-SIGMA recommendations be consistent for both the public and private sectors.

For more information, readers may access the written transcript of the testimony as well as an audio recording of the same.

The post i-SIGMA Officials Testify in BC’s FIPPA Review Committee appeared first on i-SIGMA.

Last month, candidates were nominated to serve in seats that will be open on the i-SIGMA Board of Directors in 2022. On 1 March, i-SIGMA voting member representatives will be sent an electronic ballot by email to determine who from the board-approved slate will fill these roles to represent key constituents.

Candidates have also been invited to participate in a virtual Town Hall hosted by i-SIGMA, so that member representatives can gain more knowledge about each. Follow the links below to learn more and register for each event:

• Officer Candidates Townhall: 2 March at 2pm EST
• Director Candidates Townhall: 3 March at 2pm EST

The i-SIGMA 2022 Election Campaign Guidelines can be found here.

Ballots will be sent to voting member representatives on 1 March 2022 and must be completed by 31 March 2022. The results of the election will be announced to all members by email notification by 5 April 2022, with the new directors installed to the Board during the Annual Member Meeting being held on 12 April 2022.

Additionally, each Tuesday, 15 February – 22 March, i-SIGMA Board Candidates will be asked to respond to questions posted to the i-SIGMA LinkedIn Group:

• i-SIGMA Group on LinkedIn

Learn More About Each Candidate

Candidate Information Forms for each nominee can be found in the:
Members Only Portal > My Digital Library > Elections folder.

The board-approved slate is:

President – Elect

Secretary

Gina Lentine
Legal Shred
Deer Park, NY, USA

Thomas Seibert
Vital Records Control
Oldsmar, FL, USA

Director

Andrew Brown
RecordXpress
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Gaines Garrett
Information Management Solutions, LLC dpa Secure Shredding and Recycling
Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Rod Ivey
Best Shredding Ltd.
Coquitlam, B.C., Canada

Rick Jackson
ADSLCNM, Inc. dba American Document Services
Las Cruces, NM, USA

Nick Kirkou
The Shred Truck, Inc.
St. Louis, MO, USA

Margaret Meier
UltraShred Technologies, Inc.
Jacksonville, FL, USA

Giovanna Giulia Spadoni
OMTRA SRL Benefit Company
Milano, Milano, Italy

Jason Skrmetti
Stericycle – Shred it
Madison, MS, USA

Karen Truebody
AGS Records Management
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

The post Slate of Board Candidates Set for March Election appeared first on i-SIGMA.

Has your firm had any difficulty hiring new employees? 

No – We’re not hiring                    20%

No – There are many candidates   8%

Yes – Primarily Drivers                   29%

Yes – For various positions            41%

Has your firm had any difficulty retaining existing employees? 

No                                                   69%

Yes – For various positions            18%

Yes – Primarily Drivers                   11%

Is your firm taking a different approach to attracting new employees? 

No                         50%

Yes                        50%

Has your firm offered any new incentives to retain existing employees? 

No                         54%

Yes                        45%

Has your firm increased wages to retain or attract employees? 

No                                                   22%

Yes, by approx. 5%                         23%

Yes, by approx. 10%                       40%

Yes, by 20% or more                      13%

Has difficulty hiring or retaining employees affected your firm’s ability to serve clients?

No          80%

Yes         20%

Has difficulty hiring or retaining employees kept your firm from pursing new service opportunities?  

No          61%

Yes         39%

Have any of your clients required that your firm’s service personnel are vaccinated?                                                                           

No          67%

Yes         32%

Have you required your service personnel to be vaccinated?                                                    

No          85%

Yes         15%

The post Workforce Woes: Flash Survey Results appeared first on i-SIGMA.

With this in mind, the association has been paying keen attention to these provincial initiatives, going so far as to file official comments on each.

According to i-SIGMA’s CEO Bob Johnson, there is good reason to be hopeful.

“Any ratcheting of privacy and data protection requirements is good for reputable service providers,” said Johnson. “And the fact the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation is pressuring global jurisdictions to raise their game should be celebrated.”

Given these comments, it is no surprise that front and center among i-SIGMA’s comments is that global harmonization with the GDPR is critical to compliance and personal information protection rights. More specifically, the association encourages both provinces to adopt GDPR measures that recognize credible, reputable industry certifications built to verify data processor compliance.

Read the i-SIGMA comment on BC’s proposed PIPA amendment.

Read the i-SIGMA comment on Alberta’s proposed PIPA amendment.

The post i-SIGMA Comments on Proposed Canadian Provincial Privacy Regulations appeared first on i-SIGMA.

“He’s got his eye on the ball,” Kelly Martínez, Director of Marketing & Communications who oversees the associations events, told us in regards to Schreyer’s appointment. Martínez has worked with Schreyer the past several years on the Communication & Marketing Committee, which Schreyer has also Chaired. She went on to add, “He’ll not only bring passion and focus to the table, but he’ll do his darndest to pull in feedback from the rest of the committee to make this a stellar event for everyone.”

About Tom Schreyer, CSDS

Schreyer is an information privacy advisor, leading his company in both document, electronic, and product destruction and compliance. He assists business professionals in formulating their information security policies, updating management teams and training customer’s employees. Schreyer is a Certified HIPAA Professional and a Certified Secure Destruction Specialist (CSDS). In addition to his work with i-SIGMA committees, he also presents his HIPAA UP! seminars at annual conventions to regional medical associations, medical groups and physicians.

The 2022 i-SIGMA Conference will take place 11-13 April in Orlando, FL, USA. Save the Date!

If you are an Active or Vendor Member interested in serving on the 2022 Annual Conference Committee, please notify the Events & Program Coordinator, Sara Berntgen.

Wishing you could have attended the 2021 Conference? It’s not too late! Recordings are available. Register now for access.

Written by Kelly Martínez | 13 May 2021

The post Board Recently Names Tom Schreyer, CSDS as 2022 i-SIGMA Conference Chair appeared first on i-SIGMA.