Document Shredding – Avoiding Identity Theft

Confidential waste, what is it and why has it become so important to be able to dispose of it safely?

In this cyber age of all things internet, cyber crime and particularly identity theft is rife. How many of you have experienced some sort of attempted fraud on one of your credit cards for example? I am sure the number is a lot higher than we would feel even remotely comfortable with.

Banks, retailers, government offices and many other businesses have become the target of cyber criminals who it seems will stop at nothing to get hold of people’s personal information that is stored en masse on computers and other systems.

Bearing all this in mind it is evident that the disposal of this information or data has become more crucial than ever. In the past year there have been some high profile examples of data going missing or being lost. Lost is one thing, but lost into the hands of someone intent on causing harm is another and is unacceptable.

With lost confidence and financial crisis in full swing, it is now up to businesses and organisations to get their houses in order and provide security for the public. Safe ways of disposing confidential waste and document shredding should be high on the priority list.

Confidential waste disposal companies now have their opportunity. In the past it may have just been paper that these companies dealt with but now they will also shred or destroy electronic devices such as hard drives.

February 2003 saw The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive or “WEEE Directive” become European law. Wikipedia claims, “The directive imposes the responsibility for the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment on the manufacturers of such equipment. Those companies should establish an infrastructure for collecting WEEE, in such a way that "Users of electrical and electronic equipment from private households should have the possibility of returning WEEE at least free of charge”.

Confidential waste companies are now recognising the importance of carrying out their services on your own premises so that you are able to witness first hand the destruction of the data for extra peace of mind.

An effective and quick way of destroying private documents, the actual document shredding itself often takes place in a self contained shredding mobile vehicle. Another benefit of shredding on site is the knowledge that documents won’t be lost or leaked en route to another location.

It really is imperative unless you have your own facilities that one of these companies is involved in the disposing of any of your private data and document shredding whether it is waste paper, hard drive destruction or other electrical equipment.