Why Is Document Shredding So Important?
We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to shred all the documents you no longer need. It is important to individuals, businesses, and organizations across all industries for personal and regulatory reasons. Not doing so could compromise your personal information, your business’s trade secrets, client’s data and may result in hefty fines. Let’s look at the reason why.
Shredded Papers & Files Can’t Be Read
Destroying documents ensures that all personal information cannot be reconstructed and therefore not read or used by anyone else. Commercial shredders like the ones used in FileShred’s trucks cut the documents in many directions turning the paper into tiny particles so the information is no longer readable. Documents such as credit applications, bank statements, bills, canceled checks, and tax returns are examples of documents that must be shredded.
Shredding Is A Powerful Tool To Fight Identity Theft
Shredding is essential in protecting yourself against identity theft. You should always shred documents containing any personal information, such as your name, birth date, phone number, social security number, account numbers, and addresses. You may feel that just throwing documents in the trash is easy and they are gone and who would want to go through the garbage. Criminals will go through trash because they know it’s a good place to find information. It is wiser to know that none of your information falls into the wrong hands. Don’t take the easy road and regret it later, take the most important step and have your documents professionally shredded.
Shredding Protects Your Business
A scary 60 % of small businesses fail after a data breach. Small business is all about managing risk since no risk can be prevented with 100% certainty but shredding all documents being discarded will be a major step in preventing one. Businesses that fail to protect the information of their employees and clients expose themselves to the perils of a data breach. If you don’t shred documents and you have not experienced a data breach, it is because they have been lucky so far. Why take the chance.
Beware Of More Than Just Identity Thieves
It is not just identity thieves that businesses need to be wary of. Think of what competitors and former employees could do if they got ahold of your business’s information. Client lists, pricing, and what you pay your employees would give them an unfair advantage over your company. The best way to protect sensitive business documents is to have them shredded.
It’s Important To Protect The Environment & Shredding Helps
Shredded paper is a valuable commodity because it can be recycled. 100 % of the documents that are shredded by a company like FileShred are recycled. That means none of the destroyed documents are sent to a landfill. Instead, they are used to make other paper products.
Conclusion
Document shredding should not be thought of as optional. It is a must to protect confidential information. For more information or to have your personal or business documents shredded give FileShred a call.
