As a trusted business in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, securing your sensitive business records is of the utmost importance. Failing to properly shred sensitive material can leave your business, employees, and customers susceptible to harm; most notably, identity theft. Unfortunately, this crime takes place more than you think, and easier than you probably think – once every three seconds. The good news? It is preventative with the right steps! Let’s take a look at some interesting findings in relation to identity theft.
Identity Theft is Quickly Growing
Across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the rest of United States, identity theft is the top risk that people are facing. According to identitytheft.info, it’s estimated that nearly 15 million American residents each year find themselves a victim of identity theft crimes. Further analysis reveals that every minute almost 19 people become identity theft targets, plus it takes the average victim approximately 30 hours and $500 to resolve one identity theft crime.
Healthcare and Business Industries are the Biggest Target
The last few years have revealed that the healthcare and business industries have seen an increase in identity theft crimes, here in the United States. In a report from idtheftcenter.org, 42.5% of identity thefts took place in the healthcare industry, with the business industry close behind at 33%. Securing all confidential medical and/or business related data is simply imperative when it comes to preventing identity theft.
Social Media Sites Could Make You Vulnerable
With over half of Americans using popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, this alone can increase the risk of identity theft. Thieves will have no problem hunting through your social media profiles in an effort to locate private information. They could be looking for any value information like birthdays, addresses and phone numbers. Removing personal information from your social media will help drastically, as well as adjusting your privacy settings.
All Organizations Could be Affected
Even if you operate a small business instead of a larger company, you can still become a target of identity theft. Computer hackers will do their best to obtain private data from any business, regardless of its nature and size.
Identity Theft Occurs Both Online and Offline
While data breach reports are often in the news in relation to online information theft, it continues to take place offline as well. Several identity theft crimes happen with zero ties to the Internet. Criminals can gain critical information from several sources, such as old bills, bank statements, cancelled checks and tax records. Ensuring all personal mail is properly destroyed is the best way to ensure no unwanted sources obtain your information.
When you hire TITAN Mobile Shredding, our NAID AAA Certified Information Destruction programs will help protect your business from such risks. Our team of trained professionals will thoroughly shred your confidential documents so there is no chance of exposure. Our state-of-the-art shredding technology is the best in the industry.
For more information on our services, contact us at 1-866-848-2699.
