It’s the start of a new year and you are likely preparing your business for many things. One thing you should consider is document purging, also known as shredding. This is something every employee can and should partake in, especially if there are documents piled up. There are few ways you can get rid of records and files, including document management and shredding.

Everyone knows the risks of improperly disposing of important and sensitive documents. Identity thieves are cunning and are constantly looking for new opportunities for theft and fraud. Improper disposal is a serious danger to your privacy, as well as the privacy of your customers and employees. Just tossing your sensitive documents into the trash could have a negative effect on the Earth as well. Instead of putting your sensitive materials in the garbage bin, have them shredded and disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

In today’s world, it is necessary to shred sensitive material. Any document with confidential information must be destroyed to stay out of the hands of criminals. The question is how to determine which papers to destroy and how to shred them? The best solution is to implement a shred-all policy.

15.4 million people were the victims of identity fraud in 2016, according to a study by Javelin Strategy & Research. Identity fraud continues to grow, and so does the need to keep your financial and personal information safe and secure.

It is mandated by law that every business puts in place steps to protect customer and employee information. This is to deter the efforts of fraudsters who would use such information to carry out white collar crime like siphoning funds out of the bank accounts or credit and debit cards of unsuspecting people. Every business must therefore have in place a strategy for document shredding based on its the nature of its activities, its scope and other specifics.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. Most identity theft is done by going through company dumpsters. A strip shredder does not offer ample protection for businesses. Even when companies do use cut and rip shredders, they are still responsible for transporting the shredded remains to a recycling center to avoid having them sitting in the trash.

Every business accumulates a lot of paperwork in the course of a day. There are different ways to destroy documents, but paper shredding is highly recommended. Unlike other methods of destroying papers, shredding completely destroys a document making it impossible to put back together. This deters the efforts of identity thieves who steal discarded documents, put them together and use them to carry out white collar crimes. Documents like statements, receipts and invoices contain enough information for such a person to be able to pull off fraud and siphon funds from people’s bank accounts and credit cards.

As a business owner or manager, you must be aware of the legal requirements to protect customer and employee records. It is also required by law that documents that contain financial information that can be used to steal identities and carry out white collar fraud are destroyed by shredding.

Document destruction is a critical practice for every modern business. From small start-up organizations to national corporations, every company generates thousands of documents each year. When you’re finished with your documents, you want to destroy them properly to ensure confidentiality of sensitive information. As you weigh varying document destruction options, you must decide whether you’d prefer on-site or off-site services.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. The majority of business identity theft happens in the dumpsters right on company premises. Not taking the right steps to destroy documents leaves a business susceptible to theft.