As security breaches continue to rise across many industries, security experts are advising that protection shouldn’t just exist at the digital level.  Data security has already become law in Europe as new GDPR regulations have gone into effect. Eventually, such laws will also impact the US. Micro cut shredders become an essential with the changing security environment.

Though a robust IT shield is essential for top-line security, hackers and identity thieves are using a combination of tactics to gain access to private information. The greatest misconception is that identity theft is an opportunistic crime and that thieves just so happen to stumble upon unprotected information.

In fact, identity theft rings and hackers may be specifically targeting a business for months with specific information in mind that they wish to breach. Their tactics may incorporate a complex strategy that includes identifying vulnerabilities in their computer system to infiltrating the headquarters through actual employment as company spies.

Non-Digital Approaches to Identity Theft

While many companies place an intense focus on their firewall, identity thieves may be investigating other opportunities where protection is lax. This may include dumpster diving, gaining building access through employment, or acquiring access to information as a trusted vendor.

Dumpster Diving

While dumpster diving seems like a relic of a pre-digital age, it is still an effective method used by identity thieves especially for targeting businesses. As companies dispose of records without proper destruction processes, it makes it easier for thieves to target key industries such as healthcare, financial and manufacturing that maintain and discard large volumes of confidential information on paper. Medical and dental clinics for without proper document destruction policies are low-hanging fruit.

Inside Operations

Identity theft rings are willing to go the extra mile when targeting a key business. That means acquiring employment through cleaning services or other third-party contractors that are given entry to secure work spaces. With free entry to corporate offices at night, critical documents left out on workstations because easy pickings for identity thieves.  Identity thieves will be the first to tell you that they target documents “waiting” to be shredded left in exposed piles in records rooms.

The Trojan Horse

Many businesses rely on external shredding companies to manage sensitive document destruction. But identity thieves can also easily acquire employment with these companies. Businesses unknowingly find themselves handing over confidential documents directly to unscrupulous individuals.

Businesses Manage Their Own Shredding

More and more business are taking shredding into their own hands. Security experts suggest micro-cut shredders as the best defense in document destruction on-site at the workplace.

• Micro cut shredders shred documents into particles 10 times smaller than standard cross-cut shredders. That’s approximately 2,154 particles per sheet
• With high security shredding available on-site, businesses avoid the risk of turning over sensitive information to outside sources
• Putting a strong document management plan into place also ensures that confidential information is never left exposed.

Whether managing a small business or a large corporate office, taking the necessary steps for data protection at all levels keeps your employees and customers safe. That includes the proper document destruction technology.  Choose a micro cut shredder that fits your work space.