Dangers your Ft. Myers business faces if you’re careless about document shredding

Businesses in Ft. Myers are growing fast. They’re attracting more customers, handling more services, and generating a lot of information. Sometimes their workloads are so constant and relentless that they forget about integral duties they need to complete.

Document shredding and data destruction are two aspects that can get forgotten during business. Ft. Myers companies may question whether they’re really necessary, or if they’re functions they can do by themselves with a retail shredder machine and a manageable recycling program.

But being careless or irresponsible about document destruction exposes a business to a few dangerous risks.

You’re at risk for data breaches. Data breaches are not a random occurrence. They happen when companies leave their customers’ private information exposed, whether on hard copies or digital drives. Thieves aggressively seek opportunities to break into offices with lax security and easy access to sensitive information. Not having a dedicated shredding policy in place increases your network’s vulnerability to those kinds of criminals.

You’re at risk of confidential information leaks. Private customer or client data isn’t the only type of information data thieves look for. Company strategy, trade secrets, financial records, insurance documents, incident reports, and other confidential info can all be exploited by those seeking ill-gotten gains — including disgruntled employees or occasional office visitors. Maintaining a regular shredding schedule is a surefire way to mitigate that risk.

You and your customers are at risk of identity theft. Enterprising data thieves use all means necessary to obtain information that will help them open false credit accounts or commit bank fraud. Sometimes all they need are small strings of data — a random social security number, account number, invoice number, home or email address may be all they require for illegal activities. Being lax about your shredding duties can leave this information easily exposed. If authorities trace the origin of the data theft back to your office, you could face serious legal consequences.

You risk losing customer confidence. Nothing kills a business like a bad reputation, especially in this age of quick-spreading online reviews. Customers only want to bring their business to companies they can trust. If your business becomes known for mishandling or accidentally exposing private customer data, your brand suffers a great deal. On the other hand, being clear about your data destruction practices can restore and keep customer faith.

Trouble-free, complete data destruction for Ft. Myers

ShredQuick takes the hassle of shredding away from Ft. Myers businesses, providing complete document destruction, keeping them compliant and secure. To find out how we can help your business, give us a call today.