The Houston Shredder

Paper Shredding and Document Shredding: Why you should do it

Earlier,  shredding of documents or papers was not common, in fact a number of people were not even aware of what shredding was. The easiest way of disposing the same was dumping the documents into the garbage bag. But the increase in crime rates, as well as a couple of amendments to certain laws in the U.S, has seen a change in scenario.

Paper is always shredded before disposal, in most offices around the country. Even homes are adapting to the new methods of paper disposal. One of the major reasons for this, is to reduce the risk of crimes which are growing, due to misuse of documents which should be disposed. If you do shred your documents, chances are that you could be setting yourself up for some ugly situations.

Any paper or document which has not been shred before disposal, can turn out to be a serious problem for the company or an individual. These papers can easily be passed on to wrong hands. There are often certain details and documents about an organization which are private and should not be spilled outside the organization. But if any such document is disposed without shredding, then there are many who can access these documents and also misuse the same. There have been instances in the past where such crucial documents have been found by journalists and media and have led to the defamation of an establishment, as well as individuals. In many cases the general public has benefited from these crimes, but there are instances where private matters have come out in public view.

Another problem which occurs if the documents are not shred is the increasing thefts and crimes. The use of details on these documents can also lead to misuse of the same, for committing crimes. This is also known as identity theft, where individuals have to suffer due to the thefts that are committed on their names, even though they haven’t done it. This is because culprits get hold of people’s information through the documents disposed off in the garbage, and then use this information and cause frauds, mislead people and often purchase things on credit cards. The result being that the innocent victim is in big trouble, only because he did not shred his important documents.

Hence it is vital that all confidential documents should be shredded before disposal. This helps to reduce the chances of crimes, through the misuse of these documents. The process does not need much time as a lot of documents can be disposed at one go and also because the process of tearing these papers via hand, does not do as good a job that a shredder does.

Document Shredding and its importance

 The shredding of documents through the use of paper shredders has become a popular trend these days. There are various reasons for shredding of documents instead of disposing them the regular way.

One of the biggest threats posed by the improper disposal of confidential documents is misuse of the same. There has been a rapid increase in identity thefts. These thefts work on the basis of using the identity of another person, for committing various kinds of crimes. These crimes are mainly done for financial benefits. For example, if the credit card statement has been disposed without shredding or tearing the same, then the number of the credit card can be easily accessible to the thieves. Here, they can use the credit card number for their own benefits and purchase various products and charge it to the credit card owner. Often these crimes are not recognized until it is too late and thus the credit card owners have to pay the price for the same.

Another common identity theft crime is using the identity of another person for committing crimes in their names. These can be the work of serious master minds and the person whose social security number or any other related document has been used, can get into serious trouble. Hence it is always advised that document shredding is the best way of disposing all private and confidential information.

There are various other benefits of the process of document shredding. No traces of previous records are found. Hence the chances of getting into trouble due to any such matters can also be avoided. Document shredding is one of the easiest and the most suggested way of disposing documents. Since multiple documents are being shredded at the same time a lot of time is saved. The process of shredding also ensures that the documents are shredded so finely that no content on them is visible to others. This totally eliminates the risk of misuse of these documents. Also the tearing of documents takes a much longer time and does not give you such fine results. Hence it is always good to use document shredding devices rather than doing it from hand.

The document shredding process should not be restricted to offices but should also be used at home. Both places need the proper methods of document shredding because misuse of the same can happen everywhere. This is the best way to avoid identity thefts.

Paper Shredding for Homes

Paper shredding for homes

Even though the use of the paper shredders had been mainly for office, there has been a change in the use of these shredders. Paper shredding has also begun at home due to the various benefits that it offers.

One of the main reasons for the use of these paper shredders at home, are due to identity thefts. There is a growing concern over the seriousness of this crime and also the alarming rate at which it has increased. Due to this a number of people are opting for paper shredding at home, for all their important documents. All documents which contain vital information or sensitive information should be destroyed through paper shredders. These include the documents which contain your social security numbers, bank details, credit card statements and other similar confidential documents.

Paper shredding ensures that these documents are not misused in any way. Regular disposal of these documents increases the chances of these documents falling into wrong hands. With the growing popularity of paper shredding more people are also becoming aware of their correct and safe uses at homes and in offices also.

Paper shredding is done through a motorized machine which helps in cutting paper into thin strips. There are different types of paper shredding machines which are available today. There are some which are particularly designed for offices while the others are designed for homes. There are different ways in which paper can be cut like strips or cross cuts. It does not matter what kind of blades your paper shredder has, because they all are very sharp to destroy the traces of confidential information from the documents fed into it.

There are different kinds of documents which are put for paper shredding. These include credit information and other pay stubs also. The lightweight paper shredder is ideal for homes because the amounts of documents being shredded are less. It should always be remembered that any document which is too thick for the blade of these paper shredders should not be put into the same. These include staples and paper clips which can actually spoil the paper shredder. The machine should be given regular maintenance and oiling so that it can work for a longer period.

The paper shredders for homes are more compact in size and also take lesser space. But it is useful and it is always recommended to dispose all documents through paper shredding.

4 Easy Tips for Paper Shredding at Home.

Many of our customers at Shredding Houston use our service to come pick up their shredding as needed, so they don’t have to worry. Shredding at home can be a time consuming job, especially if you have a consumer grade shredder. It takes time to shred, and even more time to shred properly. Likewise, if you aren’t using a cross-cutting shredder, you aren’t destroying your personal papers securely. This is why so many people find Shredding Houston’s pickup service to be a faster, easier way to the piece of mind that comes when you know your documents are being shredded securely, and you are doing your best to protect you and your family against identity theft. However, from time to time, our customers have important papers they want to shred right away. For these instances, here are five great tips for secure paper shredding at home: 1. What types of documents you need to shred. It can be a little overwhelming to try and figure out just what needs to be shredded. The general rule of thumb is to destroy anything that contains personal information. This includes anything that is printed with your full name, address, social security number, birthday, credit card number, or email address should be destroyed. Also, you should always shred credit card offers, especially any that are pre-approved. Credit card offers tossed into the trash are one of the most common ways thieves commit fraud. 2. Don’t forget about personal correspondence. This is a big one. Many people don’t realize that any information an identity thief can gather about you from your trash can present a risk. If you are throwing away personal correspondence such as birthday cards, letters, or postcards, be sure to shred these first. Any details about the routines or personal habits of you, your friends, or family can help a thief steal your identity and commit fraud. Be safe, not sorry. 3. How to pick the right home shredder. When choosing a shredder, ask yourself two things: How much do I want to spend? How much shredding will I be doing at home? Ideally, you want to purchase a cross-cut shredder for at home shredding jobs. Cross-cut shredders cut your papers vertically and horizontally, offering you greater security. However, if you want to use a less-expensive model, you can go with a strip-cut shredder. These will cut your documents into strips, but are less secure, since a thief could piece documents back together if they are found in strips. If you use a strip cut shredder, buy one that cuts paper into very small strips, to make it more difficult for someone to recreate the original document. Likewise, you want to get a shredder than can handle your job. If you plan on shredding a few highly sensitive documents here and there, a smaller shredder should suffice. However, if you want to shred a larger volume of papers at home, you will need to invest in a larger, more expensive shredder that can handle more papers at once. If you don’t, it will take you much longer than you bargained for to shred your job. 4. Remove staples and paper clips before you shred! A lot of people forget to do this and find themselves sorry when their shredder jams or worse, breaks. Many of the newer, more expensive shredders will survive if you feed them staples and clips, but it’s better to remove them just to be safe. We hope these tips on home paper shredding are useful. For larger jobs in the Houston area, contact Shredding Houston and schedule an appointment for a representative to pickup your personal shredding at your home.