According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 16.6 million individuals experienced identity theft in 2012, and these numbers are only increasing. By shredding documents on-site, companies can decrease risk when it comes to having important information stolen. There are several ways in which not shredding on-site can increase the risk of sensitive information ending up in the wrong hands.

1. Simple Slip-Ups

Because it always seems as if the most bizarre things can happen, important documents that have not been properly shredded could somehow leave the building. Whether it be through an open window or door after a strong gust comes through, or it getting stuck on the bottom of someone’s shoe as they walk outside, these mistakes can happen, completely unintended. However, if they do happen, it could be detrimental to a company if those documents had sensitive information on them.

2. Accidents

Like slip-ups, accidents happen too, whether they could have been prevented or not. For instance, an employee could have miscommunicated with their boss and thrown out non-shredded documents, which contained vital information on them. Or perhaps the wrong folders could have been transferred into the wrong hands, thus leaking classified facts and figures. Either way, these kinds of accidents can be prevented by shredding on-site.

3. Theft

Above all things, theft can happen. There are people out there whose only goal is to obtain the information a company has, especially if that information can lead to bank accounts or sensitive government documents. Having these kinds of papers properly shredded, on-site, can provide the most prevention against these types of thieves.

4. Shredding Offsite

If a company has their documents shredded offsite, they know that their documents are being disposed of properly, that is if they trust the company that is doing so. Though it is important for a company to instill trust in the professionals that are shredding their documents, it is much easier to do so if those documents are being shredded on-site using a mobile shred truck. By sending off documents to have them shredded offsite, there is always the possibility that the documents would not be destroyed of properly, or that the documents would not make it to the shredder at all.

5. Legal Obligation

If a company chooses to have their documents containing sensitive information not properly shredded, they could be increasing their liability when it comes to being in full compliance with shredding legislation. This is especially the case when a company must comply with regulations set by acts such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The FACTA Disposal Rule of 2005 claims that “reasonable measures” should be taken when disposing of important documents, meaning that documents need to be destroyed to the point where they cannot be reconstructed. These measures will prevent important information getting into the wrong hands or being publicly broadcast.

Proshred® Raleigh is able to provide shredding on-site, where documents are properly destroyed in state-of-the-art mobile shredding trucks by trained professionals. If you are interested in lowering the risk of your company’s information being stolen, visit our website today in order to learn more about our on-site shredding process.

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