How did shredding become a reality?
It was once extremely uncommon for documents to be shredded by non-government entities. Until a 1984 Supreme Court case ruled that information can be seized through a defendants trash receptacle without warrant. As soon as this ruling was made this became a very large concern about liability and the vulnerabilities that it was creating for those not properly destroying their documents.
The United States Federal Trade Commission estimates that over 9 million cases of identity theft occurs per year. It is recommended by the federal government that individuals defend themselves against identity theft by shredding any document that contains personal information.
Furthermore, privacy laws such as HIPPA, FACTA, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, require companies to properly destroy personal documents to avoid the unauthorized disclosure of personal information. If these documents are not properly destroyed, the law now says it carries both criminal and civil implications if not properly destroyed.
The following documents are examples of what should be shred:
- Social Security Cards
- Birth Certificates
- Copies of Wills
- Death Certificates
- Marriage Licenses
- Divorce Papers
- Military Records
Shred for your safety, yourself, and your employees. Contact us for more information about how we can help save you.
6 Quirky Facts about Shredding
Some may consider shredding an art from. And like any art form, there are generally strange factoids that one can learn about this art. From historical aspects to quirky pieces of information, shredding is an interesting art. The following is a list of great facts that you may have never known or considered about shredding.
1. As you may have learned from our last post <link to history post>, the First Paper Shredder was designed but never manufactured in 1909 by Abbot Augusts Lowe. This shredder was somewhat forgotten because Lowe died before his first functionaly prototype was ever created
2. The second paper shredder was used to shred thousands of anti-Nazi propaganda documents for the Nazi secret police in World War II as Hitler came to power.
3. Nixon brought the shredder back to the main stream and the national spotlight when he was caught shredding vast quantities of paper in an attempt to cover up the Watergate scandal
4. Personal shredders are no match for professional shredders. Personal shredders can be angered by items such as paper clips, rubber bands, binder clips, staples and more. Avoid the hassle and hire a shredding service. Most, including Mobile Record Shredders have walk in service for smaller amounts and at-home clean-outs.
5. Trash is public property. The minute your trash hits the curb, anyone can go through it.
6. According to the federal trade commission, there is a one in thirty-three percent chance your identity will be stolen in the next year. Any document, with even the slightest risk of sharing personal information, can be used by identity thieves. Stay safe and shred.
From history to today, shredding is an important step to take when keeping your personal information safe. Shred today!