Since working for ABC Office, I have seen the demand for paper shredders grow significantly over the past several years. To help keep up with demand, we have increased our shredder line by adding the popular Fellowes brand paper shredders to our site. A total of 21 new shredders have been added. While all the shredders can handle paper, many of the new models can shred CDs, DVDs, credit cards and more. Come take a look at our new selection of Fellowes shredders by going here.

Document shredding is one of the most important ways you can protect your identity. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states, “To thwart a thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to capture your personal information, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit or charge cards that you’re discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.

Take a look at our useful fraud prevention ideas and paper shredder recommendations by going here:

Shredder Guide

Fraud Prevention Guide

HIPAA

FACTA

For information about a paper shredder that may work for you, call toll-free (1-800-658-8788) Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. MST. A knowledgeable customer service representative can then assist with answering questions regarding shredders.

On February 14th, we sent a paper shredder survey to our customers to inquire about paper shredder use, identity theft and shredder trends. As a result of the survey, we received over 200 responses. The results of the survey are very interesting, showing what people think about identity theft and the importance of paper shredders.

Identity theft is an ever-increasing problem in the United States. The ability to create alternate identities, sign up for credit cards and abuse individuals’ identities is easier than ever for criminals. Receipts, mail and personal information are just some of the methods used to steal one’s identity. Out of 211 respondents,
22 people had been the victim of identity theft. That is over 10 percent of those interviewed.

This coming June, a new law will go into effect that will require anyone who has one or more employees to destroy their personal information. It surprised us to see that only 13 percent of those surveyed were aware of this new regulation.

Not surprising, over 70 percent of those surveyed feel that it is definitely important to destroy personal information. Because dumpster diving is perfectly legal, anything thrown in the garbage is fair game. Seventy-eight percent of those interviewed own a paper shredder. Fifty-one percent say they use their
shredder on a daily basis. Paper shredders help destroy sensitive information. When dumpster diving, criminals tend to go for the easy find. If paper is shredded, the difficulty of putting the pieces back together is enough of a deterrent to make shredding worthwhile.

Strip-cut shredders are still the preferred method of shredding, but cross-cut shredders are quickly growing in popularity. This is due, in part, to the fact that strip-cut shredders have been around longer. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed own a cross cut shredder. Strip cut shredders, especially over-the-can shredders, typically shred paper into ¼-inch strips. These strips, although hard to decipher, can still be reassembled. Cross-cut, or confetti-cut, shredders make it next to impossible to reassemble shredded documents.

The entire ABC Office paper shredder survey can be viewed by going here.

You can learn more about paper shredders, the different types and what they do by reading our paper shredder guide.

Dumpster diving is considered a legal practice and opens the door to identity fraud and corporate espionage. CDs, floppy disks and paper documents are just a few of the items typically found in garbage cans and dumpsters. A thief can take this information and use it for creating fake identities. Businesses have been known to sift through competitors’ garbage for information that will give them a competitive edge. Unfortunately for these victims, proper protection would have been simple and relatively inexpensive.

Paper shredders have been around for a while, yet you would be surprised how many people have yet to purchase one. These devices effectively destroy paper documents. Shredders are also manufactured that will destroy CDs and floppy disks. A CD/floppy disk combination shredder can be purchased for as little as 614 dollars. Inexpensive strip cut shredders do not always do the job. Data cut into one-quarter-inch strips can often still be deciphered and pieced back together. For this reason, cross-cut shredders have become increasingly popular. Documents fed through a cross-cut shredder are unreadable and provide maximum security.

Placing a paper shredder in every department, although ideal, is not always possible. For this reason, secure document containers are available. Secure document containers are a large container, often in the shape of a
shredder, that have a small slit used for depositing paper. Paper fed through the document container opening cannot be retrieved without a key. Once the secure document container is full, an authorized person with a key can empty the container. Discarded paper can then be taken to a centralized shredder for
proper disposal.

Finding a paper shredder is easy. Finding a high-quality shredder that won’t burn out after a few hours of use is sometimes difficult. Purchasing a shredder that can meet your business needs is vital. ABC Office specializes in paper shredder technology, and can help you on your way to finding paper shredder solutions.