Working from Home? DIY Paper Shredding May Not Be The Best Idea

Many workplaces choose to partner with professional paper shredding services to destroy sensitivity information quickly and securely. But more often, workers are telecommuting and working from the comfort of their own homes.

Some people throw away personal paper in the garbage. Others use a personal shredding machine. Neither is ideal and both are security issues.

Professional on site shredding services are one of the best possible options when it comes to information security. But why?

Your personal information is incredibly valuable

Between 2015 and 2016, incidences of identity theft increased by 16%. And 90% of identity thefts involve stolen information from print sources.

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean identity thieves aren’t going to target your trash. Criminals can gain a lot of information from the papers you throw away. This information includes your name, address, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.

Even if you use a personal shredder, your information is still available. It’s just torn into strips criminals have the patience to put back together to create a new identity.

It’s not just your information you’re protecting

When you work from home, you still work for a business. You’re obligated to protect the confidential information of your clients and co-workers.

The last thing you want to do is to put a client at risk because you’ve thrown out or precariously shredded a document with their information on it.

That said, lock financial documents and records in a safe place in your home. It’s also a good idea to set up a process of destroying junk mail and documents that are no longer necessary to keep on-hand.

On site shredding companies keep your info out of the wrong hands

Odds are you don’t have the time to set up a chair beside your garbage can or dumpster to prevent thieves from grabbing your trash. Luckily, when you use on site shredding services, you don’t need to.

Professional shredders can securely destroy your unused documents. This keeps your important papers (shredded or not shredded) out of the dumpster and out of the hands of identity thieves.

On site shredding is a great way to free up space and increase productivity in your workplace, whether you’re working in an office building or your home office. To learn more about on site shredding services or to schedule your document shredding services, contact Data Safe today.