Your business should be shredding documents and other sensitive information on a daily basis. However, most companies don’t know which types of documents they need to shred and how often they need to shred them. To help you determine which documents should be shredded immediately, We’ve put together a list of sensitive information your business should shred today.
1: Your Mails
Shredded sensitive documents can be a goldmine for identity thieves. Protect yourself and your customers by shredding all of your old mail, any pre-approved offer letters for credit cards or insurance, and any new credit card offers.
There are documents you trash. There are documents you recycle. And then there are documents you shred. Think of your tax returns, bank statements, credit card offers, insurance policies, bills—and the list goes on. All it takes is one identity thief with one stolen document to open up a whole new world of headaches for you…
2. Shipping Labels
Basic shipping labels have a home address and name printed on them. This is the same information that thieves could use to steal from your business, open up a bank account in your name, or file a fraudulent tax return.
Every time you buy shipping labels, you might be leaving behind sensitive information that can compromise your business. Make sure you shred shipping labels and receipts before they get tossed in the trash.
3. Old Photos and ID’s
One of the annoying things that people have to do, but unfortunately is necessary, is shredding. Even worse is when you have a box full of old photos and ID cards from high school that you need to dispose of. These items are great for identity theft and should be gone forever.
We all have photos and personal documents that contain private information. Whether it’s a photo ID of a loved one or an old bank statement, it’s important to shred these documents. Your private information should not be easily accessible to others, especially after you’ve destroyed the documents, so make sure to shred these papers today!
4. Dated Travel Documents
A business trip is usually a fun occasion for getting away from it all. However, when the occasion comes to an end your trip, it’s time to return home. You may not think of what you do at that point as shredding – but you should! Federal law requires every employee that handles business-related information on a trip to shred any papers and records related to that business.
Document shredding is essential to the maintenance of information security. Though many people shred documents on their own, there are other documents, such as travel documents, which should be shredded to comply with industry standards.
Conclusion
How many times have you come home late at night only to find your mailbox overflowing with junk mail or credit card applications? How often does that happen to your friends, relatives, or co-workers? Document shredding is an increasingly popular service. Protect yourself from identity theft and enjoy a cleaner lifestyle by keeping unsolicited documents out of your home–and off your conscience.
The right shredder can reduce business documents to an array of tiny pieces that are virtually impossible to reassemble. To provide completely secure document destruction for businesses from tiny offices to corporate headquarters, ATI Secure Docs has invested more than a billion dollars in equipment with tons of experience. Check us out now: ATI Secure Docs