It’s a fact – the crime of identity theft is growing. According to Javelin Research, their 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report found that Identity fraud has risen to 11.1 million US victims, which is up 12% from 9.9 million in 2008.With this staggering statistic in mind, protecting your identity must be a top priority.
Simple steps to increase your online security include: keeping operating systems updated, configuring passwords to protect wireless networks and using unique passwords for secure sites (and ensuring these passwords include numbers or capitalized letters). Yet, while online theft might garner the bulk of the media attention, low-tech forms of identity theft such as stolen documents and wallets account for 43% all crimes!
One smart precaution is to thoroughly shred all documents that contain sensitive information. From medical records to credit card solicitations, you’d be amazed at how such seemingly harmless material can be the source ofa full-blown identity theft. Businesses aren’t immune from such crimes either. They should take precautions to safeguard client and employee information by implementing a privacy policy that includes destroying any sensitive information securely. An outsourced shredding company can provide such services and provide both personal and professional peace of mind.
To learn more about how you can protect yourself and your business from identity theft, view information on Shred-it's
Regularly Scheduled Service and
Community Shred-it Events.