What is Data Security and Why Does It Matter to You?

Thursday, April 29, 2021 9:10 pm, Posted by Absolute Destruction

Keeping safe in the modern age means more than using a lock or an alarm system to guard where you live or work. Our information is everywhere, and it needs to be protected.

People have always secured their valuables, so in a sense, data protection is nothing new. However, instead of relying on tangible things like locks to prevent criminals from gaining physical access, modern measures rely on data security measures like professional shredding to keep sensitive information from leaking.

Let’s read on and learn more about how it works.

Everyone’s Information Is Worth Stealing

Don’t make the mistake of assuming only people with something to hide need to be protective about their information. An identity thief can parlay your everyday information into something valuable in ways you may not immediately appreciate.

For example, if an identity thief ascertains some of your financial information, they may drain your account or leverage it for blackmail. Every private citizen needs to be aware of safeguarding this type of data.

Meanwhile, companies need to keep a huge range of documents private, as corporate saboteurs or others could undermine their business. Imagine what a rival could do if they had sensitive information on you that gave them a competitive edge, such as HR documents that tipped them off to what your employees get paid or marketing materials that told them about a campaign in advance.

The worst data breaches don’t need to be cybercrime to cause financial and operational harm. So long as information leaks, whether the leak was digital or non-digital is irrelevant.

Everybody has personal banking data, tax information, and other documents that they would not want to fall into the wrong hands, and the risks of a data breach only increase with the rise of work-from-home during COVID-19.

For all your commercial data destruction needs, whether it’s paper, electronics, or beyond, call Absolute Destruction to get it handled securely today.

Shredding All Types of Information

Just like it doesn’t matter whether a leak is digital or not, any material that can potentially cause a data breach needs to be securely destroyed. This includes shredding paper and electronics, as well as specialty destruction that exists in other unusual forms.

Credit: Free-Photos via Pixabay

Does your pharmaceutical packaging contain contact information or health data? For businesses, ID cards and access cards are a common vector of fraud and sabotage, and there are many others.

The paper needs to be shredded before the documents no longer pose a data liability, just like electronics need to have their microchips pulverized so the data once stored on them can’t be retrieved. In the same way, unorthodox forms of data require specialty destruction before the threat of a breach is snuffed out for good.

Here are some other everyday items Absolute Destruction regularly shreds:

  • Uniforms with logos
  • Clothing or t-shirts
  • Any packaging or labelling
  • Food production packages
  • Promotional items
  • Top brands
  • X-rays
  • Dental moulds
  • And more

Identity thieves and corporate saboteurs are often one step ahead, so if you have any of the above items or any others that seem like they can potentially lead to a data breach, contact Absolute Destruction right away.

No matter who you are or the industry you work in, data thieves could profit by obtaining your sensitive information. For convenient and secure shredding, give us a call.

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