We may live in a digital world, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely beholden to digital means. Businesses still need to rely on old-fashioned techniques to protect their livelihood and keep sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. Local shredding companies know this and, just like they did decades ago, still provide reliable document shredding services to any company that wants to keep itself safe from harm. A professional service does more than simply tear a document in half. They dispose of any and all physical elements properly, with the resulting peace-of-mind invaluable for the price.
What, exactly, do local shredding companies protect you from? Take a look.
Fast Facts
Before you dig around for an on site document shredding service, become acquainted with the bigger picture. Identity theft has jumped up from 15% between 2015 and 2016 and it’s estimated one in every 16 adults became the victim of identity theft just the previous year. Over 90% of identity theft uses information gathered from print sources (anything from applications to forms) instead of those found online. To purge documents correctly is to keep your business safe from data breaches, identity theft and lost money. All it takes is one instance of document fraud to send everything into disarray.
Data Breaches
Your business is only as good as its data. This can be carefully gathered statistics, projects not ready to see the light of day and sensitive information fit only for certain eyes. When that data is compromised? You’ll be spending a lot of effort trying to get that security back. Back in 2015 businesses were collectively affected by over 300 data breaches. While that may not seem like much, these affected over 16 million people. Medical and healthcare facilities, to boot, saw over 250 data breaches negatively impacting 110 million people.
Identity Theft
A company may have a lot of data to manage, but that’s nothing compared to the personal information required to manage dozens, even hundreds, of employees. When you add customers to the mix? It’s a risk you shouldn’t take. Identity theft is a shocking and frustrating occurrence for anyone, putting them at risk of losing their bank account information, social security number or address to the wrong person. Identity theft is widely considered the single fastest growing crime in the nation. It’s estimated every individual has a one in 33 chance of having their identity stolen.
Wasted Finances
Data breaches and identity theft cost money. What else causes you to lose valuable cash? Wasted time. A professional shredding service puts all the necessary resources in one place, keeping you from having to run back and forth trying to get rid of sensitive information. Every year sees corporate identity theft costing businesses over $48 billion. A 2015 Data Security Incident Response Report provided by BakerHostetler saw one in five breaches involving paper records. Instead of falling victim to the assumption every single crime is digital, save yourself the time and trouble by asking local shredding companies for help.
Using Document Destruction Services This Year
With severe identity theft on the rise and common misconceptions being dashed to the ground, there’s no reason to take a chance. A momentary lapse in judgement or misplaced carelessness could have financial consequences that take you months to bounce back from. Local document shredding companies are more than equipped to handle even the toughest job, freeing up your hands and getting you back to doing what you do best. They eliminate paper documents and cards quickly, efficiently and will go to great lengths to ensure what’s done is done. Your employees won’t have to worry and your customers will appreciate a business that takes extra care.
As the saying goes, “Do it right or don’t do it at all.”. Seeking out local shredding companies is already a job well done.
