| Whether you are an individual or a business, one | | | | security risk. Also, once the material has been |
| thing is vital in ensuring your sensitive details are | | | | picked up, where is the guarantee that it will be |
| kept safe: shred them! Identity fraud is now an | | | | shredded satisfactorily? |
| established and growing criminal activity. Intact or | | | | On-site shredding offers the most secure service. |
| poorly disposed of documents and data can easily | | | | Shredding trucks visit homes or businesses, collect |
| be stolen during burglaries, found in domestic bins | | | | the material from special lockable bins, and |
| or on public dump sites, and used almost instantly | | | | destroy it on the premises. Patrons can actually |
| without you even knowing someone else knows | | | | see their personal data being destroyed, and are |
| your personal information. | | | | immediately issued with a certificate confirming |
| Household Shredding | | | | shredding. |
| Many homes and offices now have their own | | | | Professional shredding companies also contribute |
| shredders. This is effective to a degree but not | | | | to the environment by recycling all shredded |
| 100% effective or safe. This is partly because | | | | materials. |
| the cheapest and most popular shredders "strip | | | | What to Shred? |
| cut" documents, which is the least secure type of | | | | It's not just paper that can be shredded and |
| shredding. | | | | recycled. Governments and law enforcement |
| Shredded documents are often put straight into a | | | | advise that anything with a signature should be |
| bin. The shreds can easily be retrieved and, | | | | shredded, also old cards or passports, approved |
| contrary to popular belief, painstakingly restored. | | | | credit card applications, legal documents, bills and |
| This is made easier if the shreds don't run | | | | statements. |
| perpendicular to the text. | | | | Industrial shredders can shred almost anything |
| Professional Shredding | | | | that can be used for identity fraud, not just paper |
| Many people prefer to use professional shredders | | | | documents. Anything from CDs, DVDs, hard |
| because they provide a very secure service, and | | | | drives, credit cards, uniforms, magnetic media, |
| for businesses, there is much less office noise and | | | | video tapes, and faulty goods should be |
| dust. | | | | considered potential ammunition for identity |
| Instead of using strip cut shredders, professionals | | | | fraudsters. |
| will use a variety of very effective shredders | | | | Legal Requirements |
| such as cross-cut shredders, which use two | | | | Responsible businesses are diligent about what |
| rotating cutters to create confetti-like shreds, or | | | | information they keep. Sensitive information such |
| micro-cut shredders, which shreds paper into | | | | as personnel files, financial records, product |
| particles so small that the shreds are almost like | | | | proposals, legal documents and contracts, should |
| dust. | | | | be made as secure as possible to prevent identity |
| On-Site or Off-Site? | | | | fraud, humiliation, potential loss of customers, and |
| There are two types of professional shredding | | | | industrial espionage. |
| services: off-site and on-site. | | | | Some businesses have been sued for breach of |
| Off-site shredding is where the sensitive items | | | | confidentiality after sensitive information was |
| are delivered to a shredding facility where the | | | | stolen and used for criminal purposes. Hence, Data |
| work is carried out. Most professional shredding | | | | Protection Acts around the world are regularly |
| companies provide a good service, but off-site is | | | | being tightened up to ensure that personal and |
| not the most secure. Documents and other | | | | business information that is no longer required |
| materials may change hands a few times before | | | | must be destroyed. |
| reaching the shredding facility, which poses a | | | | |