Many people still don’t consider document shredding when they think of office supply services, but if they knew the facts, they certainly would. With identity theft on the rise, the necessity of shredding documents cannot be overlooked, and there are a number of companies that offer business’s secure document shredding.

Ask yourself the following question: ‘what office documents do I throw in the trash?’

For many, the answers are rather startling as they can include bank and credit card statements, finance letters, bills, and client or customer information.

It would amaze a lot of people the lengths some people will go to when it comes to committing identity fraud or corporate theft. Rummaging through rubbish and waste bins may seem abhorrent to most people, but to some thieves it's second nature.

Part of the reason thieves are willing to go to such lengths is the rewards, which can be staggering. After all, opening a bank account or claiming a credit card in someone else’s name can be extremely profitable. Getting an advantage over a competitor can also be extremely profitable and immeasurably costly for the victims.

A lot of focus has been placed by the media and some security experts on the dangers of computer and internet fraud. The possibility of having your details or important information taken from the web is always there, but many security measures are in place to prevent it. As long as you’re not giving your details to unsecure sites, you needn’t worry.

So, why are so many of us less conscious of the dangers of theft from our hard copies? Not as much media coverage is given to the prospects of theft via stolen documents, but that’s arguably the most likely occurrence if you don’t take the necessary precautions.

Properly destroy potentially sensitive information is vital to securing your waste documents, as simply ripping up papers is usually not enough. There’s also the problem of trying to keep so many old documents; most of them have to be thrown away otherwise the office can quickly get cluttered.

It’s worth remembering that companies can have problems with insurance companies or even find their reputation in tatters if they fail to properly destroy documents. The loss of client information can lead very quickly to the loss of confidence in not just a business’s security, but also its entire reputation.

Though the recent uptake in office shredders is a step in the right direction, these devices simply do not offer the same protection as that which can be delivered from companies that specialise in document destruction.

It may sound ridiculous, but there are actually thieves willing and able to piece together shredded documents. A new shredder makes that sort of thing impossible as no matter how determined the thief is; they simply cannot piece together the shredded documents to obtain information.

The reconstruction of shredded documents has led to companies losing billions of dollars in the past, as the benefits to competitors can be unfathomable.