Many Americans fall victim to identity theft every year, including American businesses. In fact, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, every year identity theft costs businesses around the world approximately $221 billion.
When criminals have access to your business’s sensitive information, they will often use that information to steal massive amounts of money. This can be detrimental not only to your business itself but also your customers.
That being said, it’s important for businesses to keep personal and commercially sensitive information safe and secure. Consider the following ways you and your team can keep sensitive information out of the hands of criminal parties.
- Have passwords for everything. Passwords on each computer in your office can help to keep information safe from criminals who have access to your building. What’s more, when you change the passwords on your computers every other week or month, you reduce the risk of identity theft even more by strengthening security.
- Shred all unwanted paper documents. Paper documents, even handwritten letters, can be incredibly dangerous to leave around. It’s essential to shred these documents even if you believe they don’t contain any sensitive information. This is because criminals have the capability of piecing together information from various sources.
- Partake in e-waste recycling. According to the Environment Protection Agency, only approximately 12.5% of all e-waste is recycled. Criminals can get a lot of sensitive information from electronics even if you believe you’ve wiped the hard drive. Consider visiting a recycling center instead. A professional e-waste recycling center can professionally wipe your electronics of their sensitive information so it isn’t accessible to criminals.
- Reduce the amount of data you have stored. Another great way to reduce the risk of identity theft is to reduce the amount of information you have stored on your company’s hard drive. The less information a criminal can access, the better.
Once your business’s sensitive information has been compromised, it can cause a wide array of problems. To keep this sensitive information secure is not only important but essential to your business’s financial success.
I Got E-Waste can help you keep your business safe from identity theft by safely recycling the electronics your business no longer needs. For more information on how your business can partake in electronics recycling, server recycling, and waste disposal, contact I Got E-Waste today.
