5 Important Documents to Shred Right Away

by Data Struction Data-Struction Inc.

Identity thieves have so many ways to steal, including business paperwork. So the list of what to shred can be seemingly endless. As a rule of thumb, you must shred PII or Personal Identifiable Information first. But again, it can be challenging to know what contains PII and what doesn’t. Check out these five items you must shred right away once their retention period is complete or when these are of no use:

Junk Mail

Have you been tossing away junk mail into the trash? Do you know the consequences it can have? Well, given the critical details it contains, including your name, address, and banking data, someone can actually take out credit on your name, leaving you on the hook. Your junk mail contains a lot of sensitive information that data criminals can use to tarnish your reputation, drain your bank account, and blemish your credit report.

Financial Statements

You can put yourself at greater risk by not discarding financial statements correctly. Also, that simple office shredder cannot suffice your needs. You must invest in a cross-cut shredder to entirely do away with these documents. It helps eliminate every trace of your personal information after the retention period completes. You can also hire the services of a reputable shredding company or probably attend a community shredding event for affordable shredding.

Canceled Checks

No matter how digital we get, canceled checks are here to stay for quite a number of processes. So, if you are retaining physical copies or prints of these, shred them right away. Canceled checks contain personally identifiable information that can put you at risk if available to scam artists. Even if the bank has been permanently closed, it is always better to shred the checks and lower the chances of scammers attaining your valuable data.

Shipping Labels

Before throwing away the packages in the bin or for recycling, instruct your mail room employees to get rid of the shipping labels. These can contain a lot of your business information that can be taken advantage of in malicious ways. If that seems troublesome, at least scratch the details, such as the business address, tracking codes, and account numbers, to reduce the threat of identity theft. Also, these address labels can get stuck in an inefficient office shredder. So make sure you use a superior office shredder for better performance. You can also partner with paper shredding professionals to have the peace of mind that your data isn’t in the wrong hands.

Post-It or Sticky Notes

This one’s another item that many businesses don’t but must shred. It is, in fact, an uncommon item you must be shredding. You may be taking down phone messages and client details or writing passwords and other sensitive information and simply crumpling them to throw in the trash. This way, the data can be even more compromising than a business spreadsheet or fiscal data. So, protect your business and discard these notes safely, or they can be a massive security hazard.

The Bottom Line

The list above is pretty concise. There are many other items like travel-related documents, IDs, and images that you must be shredding. So, when in doubt, speak to a professional and be safe than sorry. In addition to information and identity safety, shredding helps clear or at least reduce business clutter, ultimately keeping you organized and avoiding information risks. So, wait no more; get in touch with a local shredding company to get started.