4 Reasons Your Business Needs Document Shredding

When most people think of sensitive business information, companies like as law firms or financial institutions often come to mind. However, every business has sensitive information that thieves can use to their advantage. Identity theft is becoming more common each year. Criminals can often get enough information from leftover documents that were placed in a garbage can unshredded without ever having to hack into a sophisticated system. In fact, approximately 90% of identity theft cases are taken from printed sources rather than online sources.

In order to keep your sensitive information safe from criminals, it’s important to shred information such as:

• Employee pay stubs
• Voided checks
• Photo IDs
• Bank statements
• Tax returns

Any form of documentation that has a person’s name, phone number, email, or address on it can become viable crime material. Therefore, it’s important to utilize document shredding as much as possible. Here are three other reasons, besides identity theft, why you should be shredding your business’ sensitive documents.

1. Better organization. By periodically shredding documents and using document disposal, you’ll increase your office’s organization. Improved organization means your employees will be able to find specifics files and documents at a faster rate, therefore increasing the amount of productivity in a given day. A lack of organization can cost your business money because it either causes employees to waste time looking for files or results in repeated printing costs.
2. Better sanitation. A cluttered workplace can result in the spread of germs. Unclean desks covered in papers and files can collect dust and pathogens, which can get your employees sick and results in missed work days. By using paper shredding periodically, you can keep your workplace in top shape so desks and floors can be wiped down and vacuumed.
3. Protection from litigation. If your business doesn’t utilize document shredding services on a regular basis, it doesn’t just put your business and employees at risk — it puts your customers at risk, too. Holding onto documentation that lists customers and their credit card numbers, bank accounts, and addresses makes those customers vulnerable to identity theft. In the event that that information is stolen, your business can suffer from severe penalties under the law for mishandling sensitive customer information.

Using document shredding services is essential for businesses of any type. Without shredding your sensitive information and then properly disposing of those shredded documents, information can be stolen and may cost you your entire business. For safe, secure, and local shredding service, contact Data Safe Inc. today.