How Your Confidential Records Could End Up Across the World

Problems and Solutions for Paper-Based Information Theft

Problems

Identity theft has been increasing rapidly over the past decade. The likelihood of becoming a victim is uncomfortably high:

• An identity theft case occurs every 22 seconds.
• 33% of Americans have faced some form of identity theft at some point in their lives.

Even in our digital age, paper documents are a valuable resource for criminals. Too often, tossing documents into the recycling bin or trash can is the source of a data breach. Many Americans are unaware of the likelihood that their information can be lost or stolen at any point between the time it is discarded to an indefinite time in the future.

Information thieves are opportunistic, and they can be anywhere. Sensitive documents can be stolen from your business by an employee or from your recycling bin by thieves.

Solutions

Given that your information and that of your business’ customers and staff is so valuable to thieves, it’s vital to implement as much protection and caution as possible. Shredding your confidential records will decrease the possibility of your information being discovered. Implementing a “shred everything” policy will further decrease the risk by removing the burden of deciding what to shred and what to recycle from you and your staff. If you engage a reputable, NAID AAA Certified shredding company to securely shred your paper, not only will they destroy your information before it can be stolen, they will recycle the shredded paper, too.

Problems and Solutions for Shredded Paper

Problems

Paper accounts for around 26% of total waste at landfills. This includes shredded paper that is tossed into the landfill because most waste management companies cannot accept shredded paper in the curbside recycling stream.

Virgin paper production causes deforestation, uses extremely large amounts of energy and water, and contributes to air pollution while removing the very trees that clean our air. Since 2000, our global tree cover has decreased by nearly 10%, and paper production and its associated waste is expected to double over the next 50 years. Tossing paper into landfills is not a solution.

Solutions

Protecting the environment and the earth should be a priority for everyone, so be sure to work with a shredding company that recycles 100% of its shredded paper. That way, you know that you are protecting the information on those documents and protecting our environment.

Problems and Solutions for Recycling Paper

Problems

Much of the recycled paper trade is international, with America and other countries exporting it to India, Mexico and Vietnam. Even if it is recycled domestically, your documents will be transferred multiple times in the process, from bin to truck to storage facility to recycling plant, and handled by many different people. That means that unless your paper has been shredded before it is recycled, the information it contains is vulnerable to anyone who wants take it and use it for criminal purposes. Your financial statement could end up in Guangdong, China!

Solutions

If you have already chosen to use a NAID AAA Certified shredding company that recycles, you have chosen the best solution to protect your information. If you haven’t found the right shredding company yet, be sure to look for one that:

• Provides shred collection containers for your business so your employees can place documents in the locked bins as part of your “shred everything” policy
• Uses background-screened, professional shred collection technicians to transfer your documents from your office to the shredder
• Is NAID AAA Certified so you know they adhere to the highest security standards in the industry, including shredding your documents in accordance with federal and state data privacy laws like HIPAA, FACTA, GLBA, and FERPA
• Provides a Certificate of Destruction so you have proof of your compliance with data privacy laws

Ultimate Solution

Pacific Shredding provides NAID AAA Certified shredding services to businesses and residents of California’s Central Valley. To ensure your confidential information is protected, give us a call at 800-685-9034 or complete the form on this page. Our shredding experts are standing by!