Objective
A great deal of K-State information is stored on paper. Old class rosters, grade books, or personal files may contain confidential information such as social security numbers that must be protected.
Audience
Procedure
At K-State, paper-based media must be destroyed at the end of their retention life cycle by one of these methods:
Shredding
- Paper-based or other hard copy media containing confidential University Data must be shredded with a cross-cut shredder before disposal
- The maximum particle size for paper-based media containing confidential data should be 1x5 mm
- Media containing internal data should likewise be shredded with a cross-cut shredder if disclosure of the information contained therein might adversely impact the institution, an affiliated organization, or an individual
- The maximum particle size for media containing internal data is 2x15 mm
Incineration
This is an acceptable form of disposal for paper-based media but may only be performed through methods that are compliant with all relevant health, safety, and environmental laws and regulations.
Notes
Review Media Sanitization and Disposal and Table A1 in the Guidelines for Media Sanitization NIST Special Publication 800-88, Rev 1. for further instructions and procedures for sanitizing specific media, including paper-based media.
See K-State's Data Classification and Security Policy for definitions of confidential and internal data.