Did you know that only about 10 percent of identity theft cases use online information? Even in the Internet age, most of our personal information is stored on paper. You’re probably already aware of the need to protect your personal information (or your clients’ personal information, if you’re a business owner) online, but it is just as important, perhaps more important, to safeguard the information that is printed. Here are five reasons why you should find a secure shredding service to get rid of your paper:
1. It Protects Information
Most estimates conclude that about 95 percent of business information is stored on paper. The more paper you are keeping around, or simply discarding in tact, the greater the potential for your information or your clients’ information to be stolen. A secure shredding service guarantees that papers with sensitive information will be destroyed, so that the information does not get into the wrong hands.
2. It Will Save You Money
According to the FBI, information theft costs U.S. businesses about $24 billion a year. If your clients’ information falls into the wrong hands, you are going to lose a lot of customers due to distrust and possibly a lot of bad press. The cost of getting a paper shredding service will be significantly less than the amount of money you might lose if your clients’ information was compromised.
3. There Are Alternatives To Paper Information Storage
A document shredding company will usually also provide a document scanning service, so you can destroy all of your paper and convert the printed information that you still need into digital form. Secure document storage will free up space in your office and make your clients’ information more secure.
4. It Reduces The Risk Of Fires
Besides the risk of exposing sensitive information, storing a lot of paper in your office is a fire hazard. Once again, paying for a secure shredding service will cost a lot less than paying to repair fire damage.
5. It Helps The Environment
Paper can be recycled. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 percent of U.S. paper mills are specifically designed to make new paper out of shredded paper that is collected from recycling programs. The EPA has also found that making new paper out of recycled paper causes significantly less water and air pollution than making paper out of non-recycled materials.
Secure shredding services are easy to find. Shredding paperwork is so important for businesses, that there are plenty of companies ready to provide the service and who can guarantee the safety and security of your business’s information. Shredding your paper really is the best safeguard against identity theft. It will make your clients feel more secure and increase the probability of your success. Oh, and helping Mother Earth in the process is a good bonus.