5 Facts About Document Shredding You Need to Know

Identity theft has become a serious issue these days. It roughly affected forty-nine million Americans and cost around $56 billion in 2020. With this significant growth of identity fraud, document shredding is key to protecting your personal and business information.

To keep your data protected, it’s always a good idea to hire an authentic document shredding company to securely shred your confidential information.

While document shredding seems like a boring topic, there are some interesting facts you need to know about it.

5 Interesting Facts About Document Shredding

Here are fascinating document shredding facts you should know:

Fact #1: Document Shredding Was Introduced in 1909

Document shredding initially came to be in 1909 when Abbot Augustus Low introduced the concept. Soon after introducing the idea, Low realized that there was no easy-to-handle way to actually shred documents. He ended up giving his idea to Adolf Ehinger.

In 1939, during World War II, Adolf Ehinger modified Low’s idea and manufactured the first contemporary paper shredder. Many people believe Ehinger designed it to tackle anti-Nazi propaganda.

Fact#2: Most Identify Frauds Rely on Paper Records

According to information security experts, most identity frauds are tied to paper records. This is possible since criminals can easily access discarded paper records as opposed to digital ones. Data in the form of paper mail, address, bank account details, and identity details are the significant sources of such fraud.

To avoid such data breaches, it’s crucial to destroy confidential information on both business and personal levels.

Fact#3: Shredded Paper in the Trash is Public Property

According to United States law, the trash on your curb is public property. This can lead to identity theft since it allows thieves to search your garbage for any records or information. If they find any information, they can use it to steal your valuable assets – or even your money if it somehow makes its way into the trash.

To avoid potential security thefts, you should shred your private documents properly or enlist the services of a reputed shredding service provider.

Fact# 4: Shredders Can Destroy More than Just Paper

Though shredders are primarily used to destroy paper, they can also shred staples, rubber bands, and file folders. Some document shredding service providers may also offer hard drive destruction, tablet shredding, and cloud security.

In addition to that, some shredders are also designed to cut paper into small strips. From disposing of basic junk mail to shredding highly confidential documents, various shredders are designed for specific tasks.

Fact# 5: Professional Shredding Service Keeps You Compliant

Hiring a well-reputed shredding company will keep your business compliant with government laws. This is possible because professional shredding companies are certified by state and national associations.

Using an authentic shredding service provider also helps avoid unwanted penalties and fines.

Final Thought

Document shredding has undeniably become one of the most effective ways to destroy private information and records. The document shredding facts mentioned above clarify how important it is to shred your documents properly to avoid identity theft. It’s always a good idea to hire a reputed document shredding service to protect your business.