When the coronavirus pandemic first reared its ugly head back in the late winter and working remotely became a mandate for many, we all thought (and definitely hoped) that the home office episode would be a short one. But with remote work now a seemingly open-ended scenario for some, now may be time to further outfit that home office – beginning with a document shredder.
Let’s face it – a home office represents a large dose of responsibility and while sensitive work documents and materials on a PC or laptop may be protected from breaches via anti-virus, encryption, cloud storage and other measures, what sometimes is forgotten is the paper trail of information left literally by paper. The trash barrels you place outside your home each week could contain sensitive company information, not to mention personal documents that in the hands of the criminally intent could result in identity fraud. A mere one or two pieces of personal information from your curbside trash is all that’s needed to steal your identity.
And the variety of information businesses discard daily is monumental. Financial statements, net worth information, partnership agreements, detailed memorandums about wills and testaments, and more. This may not be the type of data you’re working with in your home office, but you probably have one or two documents sitting on your desk (or kitchen table) that in the wrong hands could trigger trouble for your company…or you personally.
So, what should you consider when purchasing a shredder for home use? A standard small size – roughly the dimensions of a small garbage pail – would be perfectly adequate for the home office, in most cases.
There are three methods of document shredding available: cross tab, strip cut and professional firm. All methods provide an equal level of assurance that the documents have been destroyed. Both the cross tab and strip cut shredders can be purchased as stand-alone machines for personal use.
Document shredders are widely available and relatively inexpensive, particularly in light of the costly damage that document theft can incur both personally and professionally.
Threats to the security of businesses and individuals sadly, will always exist, but that’s no reason to make it easy for criminals. Methods of keeping records will continue to migrate from paper to electronic, but those paper trails remain and are a treasure trove for crooks. Destroy their efforts by properly destroying valuable information on paper – in other words, cut them off at the pass with a paper shredder.
If you are looking for more information, please email us at info@pulsetechnology.com.
