Shredding For Identity Theft Protection
Old records may seem harmless enough; for example, closed credit cards and bank accounts. But an ambitious identity thief can use the bits and pieces of this old information to assemble a profile of your current identity. If you are unsure that a document needs to be shredded – shred it!
Fellowes have compiled this “top 20 shred list”
1. Obsolete financial records, including loan
2. Pre-approved credit card applications
3. Personal medical records or physician statements
4. Correspondence and tax preparation worksheets
5. Receipts for purchases
6. Bank statements
7. ATM receipts
8. Credit card statements
9. Cancelled checks
10. Mail and old records
11. Untidy bills
12. Credit Card Charges
13. Insurance forms
14. Investment transactions
15. Expired credit cards
16. Mailing labels from magazines
17. Pay stubs
18. Old driver’s licenses or passports
19. Expired insurance membership cards
20. Any documents that contain social security number, birth dates, your mother’s maiden name and any account numbers or online passwords.
A proactive approach to shredding is vital in office identity security, particularly when it comes to paper documents which can be overlooked when you’re focusing on digital security measures. Paper applications filled out by employees, e-mail attachments that have been printed out, and even handwritten notes about your competition all require protection. Depending on the size of your office, Small Office / Home Office or Commercial Cross-Cut Shredders are optimum for shredding performance. Making it easier to shred documents can encourage better shredding practices, so positioning shredders near copiers and printers for a quick and easy shredding of documents that might be left out on the paper tray should be a priority.
It is good practise to maintain strict requirements for shredding all customer printed materials the moment they are no longer needed. This also prevents time wasted reviewing documents for personal information or personal content being overlooked. We have an extensive of Shredder available from Small Office Shredders to Large Departmental Shredders to suit any working environment. With small personal shredders readily available from b2b.ie from as little as €23.99 there’s no excuse not to bring these shredding practises back home with you as well.
