Did you know that the average American generates 4.5 pounds of waste paper every day? That’s a lot of paper! If you’re like most business owners, you probably have a lot of confidential records that need to be disposed of safely and securely. That’s where shredding services come in. This article will discuss 8 interesting facts about document shredding that you may not have known. Stay safe and secure by using a professional shredding service!
Fact #1
Most identity theft and fraud can happen mostly to lost or stolen paper information such as a lost or stolen checkbook, stolen paper mail, fraudulent changes of address, or information taken from the garbage. According to studies, 1 in 5 data breaches involves paper records.
Fact #2
Trash is considered public property. According to the 1988 case, California v. Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Fourth Amendment found that trash is a public property if it’s on the curb. So to prevent you from loss of private information, the best solution is to shred your sensitive documents and mail.
Fact #3
Document shredding is not only important for security and cybersecurity reasons; it’s also the law. Currently, there are several state and federal laws such as HIPAA, FCRA, FERPA, FACTA, GLBA, COPPA, and more. This privacy law mandates you to safeguard all private information regarding your employees and customers. To remain compliant with these particular laws, you must destroy all confidential and outdated business information. Protecting your business by securely shredding any document that no longer requires storage is crucial.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Established in 1995, this law requires that healthcare industry professionals responsibly shred discarded patient information.
- The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) of 2003 was enforced to help reduce the risk of identity theft by requiring responsible shredding of discarded customer information.
- The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Enacted in 1999, this law requires banking and financial institutions to protect the privacy of consumer data.
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers information in your credit report. It limits who is allowed to see a credit report, what the credit bureaus can collect, and how information is obtained.
Fact #4
The most advanced document shredding machines produce paper pieces measuring a tiny 3 mm x 9 mm. The resulting shreds are so small that it’s impossible to reassemble the original document
Fact #5
Shredding isn’t just for paper. Some shredding services will also shred and dispose of your hard drives, which is the best way to dispose of them. Not only will it protect your information, but it also benefits the environment as they recycle the shredded hard drive bits, keeping them out of our landfills.
Fact #6
Shredding services can be certified. And you should consider a certified provider. A Certificate of Destruction will be provided upon completion of the shredding process. It will ensure that your sensitive documents are completely destroyed, according to the highest standards in the industry.
Fact #7
Outsourcing your shredding is cost-effective. When you buy a shredding machine, there is a possibility it might not fit your volume or break. Plus all the costs associated with maintaining the shredding machine and time-consuming to destroy all the accumulated papers.
Fact #8
The shredding companies provide a variety of services, including ongoing shredding services and security shredding bins. These bins are designed to securely hold all the sensitive documents you want to dispose of. These Containers are enhanced security for disposing and collecting sensitive documents before the paper is shredded.
Shredding services are an essential part of protecting your confidential information. Using a professional shredding service, you can ensure that your documents are disposed of safely and securely.
If you’re in the Yuma area and need reliable shredding service, contact Desert Document Shredders today! We offer secure document destruction for businesses and individuals alike. Let us help you keep your confidential information safe and sound!
