How Crime Rates Decrease Due To Shredding Data?

The list of crimes frequently includes identity theft or blackmailing someone by withholding private information. The U.S. government has mandated that you remove any evidence of potentially sensitive information that could be used against you or your business. Now, why were these severe guidelines created? Well, to help people and reduce the crime rate. So, does it work?

How Is Identity Crime Linked To Shredding?

The relationship between identity theft and shredding physical data is inversely proportional. With proper shredding of physical data such as expired ID cards, patient forms, prescriptions, and many other things, the chances of a criminal adopting your identity are none. So yes, the crime rate was reduced after the laws were implemented.

How Has FACTA law Aided Citizens?

The FACTA law was put into effect, and it specified that if a client’s information was no longer needed, the corporation had to delete it—whether it was in hardcopy or on a disc. Even once the business is over, the company still owes its customers privacy.

Data disposal is a delicate process, so the business must ensure that no paper documents or electronic data leave the building unless they are in the closed trunk of a truck that provides shredding services per the law. The data must be completely unreadable, which can be achieved by shredding services, burning down papers, and using disintegrators for plastic chips.

Role of HIPAA in Patient Protection

There have been numerous cases where patients with addictions and drug addicts have used someone else’s pill bottles or prescriptions with a fake ID card to obtain drugs from stores. It was impossible to ensure that the patient’s medical history was protected.

So, HIPAA made a law that a shredding company must destroy all medical waste containing patient information and old prescriptions, and people must submit evidence of it.

Why are Electronics Shredded?

Hacking is another prevalent crime that has caused much damage in the last twenty years. So many crimes are linked to electronic data, so people use softwares to wipe out data.

After downloading cleaning software or wiping the device clean, many approaches guarantee that there won’t be any traces of outdated data left on the device.

However, some talented hackers can start with a small thread and work their way up to discovering the true data. So shred the device into a million pieces to ensure no way to get it back.

One advantage of shredding electronics is that it is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly process. No more fuel is utilized, and no harsh, non-recyclable chemicals are applied to destroy a gadget.

Conclusion

By signing a contract with a shredding company, you can be confident that the business will be held accountable and responsible in front of the authorities if there is a breach in the data from the other end. Each state’s regulations require registered businesses to destroy any electronic copies of private information. You get a certificate for disposing of the required gadget in exchange. Hence, it is proven that decreased crime rate is effective due to shredding information.