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Career Paths For A Comptia A+ Certified Technician
The world is your oyster. Where you decide to take your career after this is entirely up to you. There are some things to consider depending on your geographic location. If you happen to live in or near the larger populated cities, competition for...
Discover How To Make The Success Generating Imagination Work For You
The secret power of positive thinkers is their faith. And this faith is the power of God working through their imagination. A sparked imagination is a sacred channel through which God performs his great projects.
How can you make your...
Home Buyer Checklist
Before You Buy
Congratulations, you've made the big decision to buy a home. Now
What? There are many questions you will need to ask yourself
before moving ahead. The biggest question is: where do I want to
live?
All of us...
How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is a serious crime that continues to grow. If you become a victim of identity theft, you may spend months, or years, trying to repair the damage. A compromised credit report can ruin your chances of getting a new job, a loan,...
The Second Coming in Albania
Blessed with Chinese GDP growth rates (7-8% annually in each of the last 3 years) and German inflation (4%, down from 32% in 1997, mostly attributable to increases in energy and housing costs), it is easy to forget Albania's Somali recent...
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Paper Shredders & Identity Theft
Don't Let Your Valuable Private Information Become Public!
Use a Paper Shredder"
Paper and information go hand in hand. Unfortunately, paper with
information...private information...can go from your hand to
someone else's all too easily. It might surprise you to know
that going through the trash, either your company's or your
personal home trash, is not illegal. Once it is put outside in a
trash can or dumpster it is fair game. That's right, it's
perfectly legal for someone to go "dumpster diving" and take
whatever information they find. Disturbing? You bet. No wonder
paper shredders have become so popular. It's not
just computer identity theft you need to worry about it -
although that's a concern! If you don't safely shred private
info like credit card receipts and bank statements you are
inviting the thief in!
Your image of shredding paper may be of harried Enron executives
shoving reams of incriminating documents into a big metal
behemoth. Sure, that's on the more dramatic end of the spectrum.
Nevertheless, companies and individuals all have sensitive
material that needs to be disposed of and simply tossing it into
the nearest trash bin is not the smart way to get rid of it.
The government has shredded documents for years. In recent years
legislation has been passed mandating disposed information be
unreadable, especially medical and financial materials.
No one should dispose of paper documents with sensitive
information by just tossing them in the trash. Names, phone
numbers, social security numbers, credit card receipts, customer
information, financial and health documents and trade secrets
are just some examples of paper you should shred. Identity theft
is real.
Some businesses and government agencies are also required to
dispose of documents properly which may include using a paper shredder. For example, the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) lays down strict
guidelines for protecting the privacy of patient's health
information and there are heavy fines/penalties for not being
HIPAA compliant.
Shredding paper is also better for the environment. You reduce
the volume of waste and some people even use shredded paper for
packing material (just be sure it is not sensitive material that
could be pieced together without too much effort).
Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes in
America. Over 12.7 percent of Americans reported they were
victims of Identity Theft in the last five years. The misuse of
existing credit card accounts has increased to over 71 percent
in the last two years. Over all, Identity Theft has increased by
over 41 percent in the same period of time. Identity Theft is a
massive crime and it is virtually
without risk to the
perpetrator. Unbelievably, only 25 percent of Identity Theft
victims actually report the crime to the authorities. In 2002,
estimated financial losses to American businesses were over $33
billion dollars due to rampant identity theft. The average
victim lost over $10,200.00, and that does not begin to include
the cost needed to recover from the abuse.
A Paper Shredder is Your #1 Defense Against Identity Theft
New Research Shows That Identity Theft Is More Prevalent Offline
with Paper than Online. Factory Express is making it easier for you get
the paper shredder you need to protect yourself and/or your
clients against identity theft. With our featured paper
shredders, we are doing our best to help you find the equipment
you need at the right price. Factory Express carries top quality
paper shredders with comprehensive warranties, and
since we buy direct from the factory, we can pass the savings on
to you. Don't fall victim to opportunistic thieves. Shred all
confidential material before you throw it away.
There are a large number of paper shredders on the market today.
The two main types are strip cut shredders and cross cut
shredders. Strip cut paper shredders slice the paper in one
direction. This results in thin vertical strips of paper. Strip
Cut Shredders are good in many situations, but they are not
recommended for people requiring maximum security. Cross cut
paper shredders cut documents in two directions, both vertically
and horizontally. The resulting chad resembles confetti and in
effect the paper is rendered to tiny bits of paper that are
nearly impossible to reassemble. Cross cut paper shredders are
generally better than strip shredders for high security
situations, but they are also more expensive and will require
more maintenance. For the best protection against identity theft
choose a cross cut shredder.
If you're not shredding the following items, you need to
be! Bank Statements Credit Card Receipts and Statements
Cancelled Checks Confidential Letters Expired Vehicle
Registration Financial Records Expired Credit Cards, Debit Cards
& ATM Cards Federal and State Tax Returns, etc.
Stop worrying about Identity Theft - Shred IT and Forget
IT!
© Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved - Paper Shredders Info
About the author:
For more information about how a paper shredder can help protect
your identity, visit Paper Shredders Info or to shop for Paper Shredders
visit Factory Express
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