There are a lot of people who even in this day and age tread on the careless side when it comes to their information security. A few misplaced documents here and there, too many details posted on social media, or allowing phone apps too much permission can all lead you towards an unfortunate time. While sometimes it seems like the information being given away, or in some cases discarded, is so small or so minor that it seems insignificant, it is often the case that a malevolent purpose can be found for it.
Imagine that you have a minor careless tendency with various documents you receive in the mail, be they regular letters, bills, tax returns, etc. Over time you end up throwing in the trash the odd letter here and there, or the odd envelop that has some kind of information about you on it. Your name, phone number, address, even details about your health. A dedicated person could over time pick up and gather this information, until such a time where they have enough to pose as you or to rack up bills in your name, or receive treatments from hospitals that get logged into your records.
These will all eventually lead to problems for you down the road. Huge bills that will come due suddenly or receiving medical recommendations based on the information that is not from you will shock and seriously harm you. These are also very hard to disconnect from you and years of hardships can lay ahead of you. In other words: take your information privacy seriously.
What You Can Do
One of the biggest and easiest paths you can take when it comes to protecting yourself from information theft is to shred all papers that may contain any kind of sensitive information. While it is tempting to go out and pick up a home office shredder in order to take care of business yourself, it is strongly advised you avoid these machines. While they initially seem like a good idea to save time and money, they can often end up costing you more of both. They neither have a shred pattern that is sufficient to prevent the reconstruction of shredded documents nor the endurance to handle a large quantity of shredding over the long term. When they burn out you’ll end up with an expensive paperweight, and if documents are reconstructed you’ll end up with even bigger problems.
Your best course of action is to seek out professional document shredding services from a company like SAFESHRED. Our shredding services are certified to be in compliance with state and federal privacy regulations, and we offer the best in document destruction options. Either get shredding at home, off-site or enjoy a shred event to raise awareness in your community on the dangers of identity theft.
When it comes to records that must be kept for a period, it is important to store them properly. Many of us have a tendency to store these records poorly, either kept in a desk drawer or maybe in a folder in an old shoebox up on a shelf somewhere. The best option you can choose is to use a secure bin or console. These make a convenient and secure place to store sensitive records until they are ready for shredding. If for some reason these bins still aren’t what you’re looking for, you must at least choose some form of locking storage to prevent people from just taking records as they please.
All of this will help you to keep yourself safe from information theft. If you’re convinced about professional shredding, get in touch with us and we’ll come to take care of your needs.
Call: 1-800-987-4733
