Why Shred?

PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL IDENTITY and COMPANY INFORMATION

OVER 50,000 cases of Identity Theft were reported last year - Financial Times

We are all aware how vitally important it is to protect Ourselves, Our Families and Our Businesses from unscrupulous individuals intent on harm. It seems a basic human instinct to provide as many distractions as possible to deter unwanted attention. We all, as far as it is possible, lock Doors, install Burglar Alarms or CCTV, use Key or Card Entry Systems, and join Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

Why then do we spend so much time and effort on trying to protect ourselves, yet can often be guilty of disposing of our most precious possessions in the trash? In many cases by simply discarding paperwork you may be throwing away the "lifeblood" of your company.

• Sales Forecasts
• Business Plans
• R&D Information
• Customer Lists
• Cost Prices
• Profit Margins
• Staff Salaries

All information that would be very interesting to your competitors and could possibly cost you millions of pounds if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

It's little wonder therefore if we make life so easy for potential thieves that IDENTITY THEFT, CORPORATE FRAUD and INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE are increasing at alarming rates. A new language is entering society - Personal Identity / Bin Raiding / Fraud Spree / Victim Fraud / Credit Thieves.

The sad truth is that most people start to worry about identity theft and corporate fraud only after it has actually happened to them. They always say things like “if only I had..” or “why didn't I just..”. Don't be one of the victims, buy a shredder before it's too late!

Unfortunately even if you protect your own data, it is perfectly possible that someone who has your personal details (such as a company you have ordered from or the secretary of a local sports club) may not be so scrupulous. In order to protect yourself further we would recommend purchasing ID Theft insurance. This means that if someone steals your identity you can contact the insurance company and they will do the rest including the recovery of any money lost. (You will need to check the small print of your policy as some companies will only insure you up to a certain amount of money).

Data protection whether for your Business or Household is really a matter of Common Sense. Pertinent information that could cause embarrassment or allow someone to steal your Identity for fraudulent purposes should always be dealt with safely and securely.