Shredding your documents: Why is it important?

Why is shredding your documents important?

There certainly is something that big and small businesses throughout the country have in common, the need to retain and dispose of confidential material. Although the destruction of this sensitive information can be very time consuming, it is a vital undertaking to protect not only for your own business, but client’s data as well.

You aren’t alone in not enjoying the process of shredding confidential waste, thieves and fraudsters would welcome the opportunity to get their hands on this data. They can cause significant damage to your company with just a small out of information from your business or clients.

Here are some of the main reasons why it is so important to shred your documents:

Identify Theft:

Identity theft is a growing problem; in 2017 on the CIFAS (the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Scheme) annual report on Fraud in the UK stated that there were 174,523 incidents of identity fraud. CIFAS reports that almost 500 identities are stolen every day in the UK.  Now more than ever it is critical to dispose of your sensitive data correctly. Often the most information at risk includes passports, passwords, email addresses, IP addresses, driving licences, statements, invoices etc. 

It doesn’t stop with paper:

Information that requires destroying isn’t just stored on paper, there are many other often overlooked products that fraudsters can use to take advantage of your businesses.

With more data being accessed and stored digitally, media devices such as hard drives, USB sticks, SD cards and SIM cards are extremely valuable to you. Once these items are no longer needed, they can’t simply just be sold or disposed of. All the stored information needs disposing of securely and correctly.

Products that you might not necessarily realise are extremely sensitive include old uniforms, branded promotional products and faulty items. These can also be used and could cause a significant amount of damage if they were to fall into the wrong hands.

Obligation:

In recent years the legislation that protects privacy and security of businesses, clients and customers has become much more stringent. If businesses do not abide by these new rules GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) ) and regulations it can result in severe fines and penalties from the ICO (Information Commissioners Office).  

Protect your business:

If you simply shred your documents in house, there is no evidence of destruction. If by some chance there is a data breach by an unauthorized person you won’t have any proof that your business was compliance with current GDPR regulations. Green Plan-it will issue a certificate of destruction that stats your confidential waste was handled and shredded correctly. Furthermore, security is a top priority for Green Plan-it. All vehicles are fitted tracking and CCTV recording. Employees are DBS checked, insured and vetted.  

Purchasing an ‘off the shelf’ shredder from your local office supply shop can take a lot of man hours to successfully destroy all of your confidential waste.  Save time and money and appoint a company to take care of your confidential waste needs. Green Plan-It is one of the country’s leading shredding companies. For a FREE no obligation chat, please call our customer support team and one of our friendly Professional Waste Advisors will discuss all of your shredding requirements and create a dedicated plan ideal for your business. – Call now: 0800 0854088