Identity theft is a massive threat for businesses and their leaders – and one of the main reasons secure shredding is a must these days.
ID thieves can wreak havoc for a business – running up debts in your name, posing as you when contacting customers, and hitting your ability to raise finance.
Secure shredding is an important tool to make things far harder for ID thieves, helping you keep your information safe.
Not only could they target you and your business, they could attempt to steal the identities of your customers or suppliers, so you need to keep their information safe, too.
Any business also needs to be aware of the General Data Protection Regulation and its emphasis on the importance of data protection.
Its rules apply to paper documents and information held on laptops, PCs, tablets, USB sticks, and phones.
A data breach could land your business with a large fine under GDPR – up to 4% of your annual turnover or 20 million Euros for serious breaches – and it could deliver a huge blow to your reputation.
How do you know that you or your business is being targeted by ID thieves?
Some of the signs you’re being targeted by identity thieves include…
- Missing documents – Important documents might have been taken to use the information in them, including passports and driver’s licences or copies of them.
- Missing post – Thieves could be intercepting mail to look for bank statements, credit card deliveries, utility bills, or information from government bodies such as HMRC and Companies House.
- Recycling or rubbish has been rifled – ID thieves may have been looking for useful documents which have been thrown away.
- You begin receiving letters from debt collectors or solicitors for debts that aren’t yours.
- There are items you don’t recognise on your bank statement.
How could your business reduce the risks?
- Separate confidential documents from normal recycling. Only put documents which don’t contain details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and bank details in the open recycling.
- Store important documents securely – Either use a safe or a lockable filing cabinet. Make sure your confidential waste is stored securely before it is shredded, too. We offer lockable consoles.
- Monitor your bank accounts and your credit ratings regularly.
- If you’re moving office, get your post redirected by Royal Mail and inform your bank, utility company, telephone provider, accountant, HMRC, and Companies House.
- Choose a shredding company which meets the highest standards for data security and quality, as we do at Taclus Confidential. Ensure they use a secure facility and that their staff are vetted.
- Opt for on-site or mobile shredding, which can be carried out in front of you. You will get an immediate certificate of destruction.
- Don’t forget that your old hard drives and media such as image cards, phone SIMs, and USB sticks can contain all sorts of confidential information. Get them shredded, too.
Why you should choose Taclus Confidential – A South Wales secure shredding company
We offer confidential paper waste, removable media, and hard drive destruction services at affordable prices.
Taclus Confidential holds the accreditations for ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and ISO14001:2015 for environmental management and has been certified by independent auditors IQS for both.
Taclus has also been selected as the confidential waste management partner for Keep Wales Tidy.