One of the most important decisions to make when buying a paper shredder is whether to choose a strip- or cross-cut machine.
It may seem like a trivial detail, but the kind of cut your shredder produces can have a big impact on your privacy and, if you’re an employer or medical professional, legal life. Continue reading to find out why a cross-cut paper shredder is your best bet. First and foremost, the main benefit you get from using a cross-cut paper shredder is a high level of security.
When you use a cross-cut shredder, the paper you shred will be impossible to reassemble, so you can be sure that no one will be able to dig through your garbage (or recycling bin) and grab your credit card information, medical data, or Social Security Number.
It’s important to be aware that there are now software programs available that can help identity thieves reassemble documents that have been shredded. If you use a strip-cut paper shredder (the kind that turns a sheet of paper into strips resembling certain kinds of pasta), it would be very easy for a nefarious individual to use his/her computer to put the strips back together and steal your private information – and maybe even your identity.
Using a cross-cut shredder can reduce the chances of that happening.
Also, if you run a business or routinely handle other people’s credit or medical information, you may already know that you’re required by federal law to dispose of certain documents properly. These laws are called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).
HIPPA really only applies to people in the healthcare profession, such as doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, health insurance companies, and so on. If you’re one of these professionals and you handle very private information regularly, you must know that destroying unneeded medical papers is legally necessary.
A cross-cut paper shredder can help you do that. After all, do you really want the world to know that Mr. So-and-So has some sort of embarrassing medical problem or that Ms. What’s-Her-Name sought help for her bipolar disorder? It’d be mortifying for them…and legally disastrous for you.
The same holds true for FACTA, although this is a law that applies to just about every business in America. This is because almost every business has employees. And if you have employees, you definitely have some dirt on them, whether it’s credit reports, performance reviews, and – of course – salary information. When you’re purging your files, you can’t just throw them in the trash or recycling bin and hope for the best.
They needed to be shredded, preferably with a cross-cut shredder so no one will be able to lay his or her eyes on your employees’ private information.
As discussed in this article, there are definite advantages to using a cross-cut paper shredder. Keeping your private information safe is one of them; complying with federal law is another. (You don’t want to mess around with the feds. Seriously!) If you don’t already have a cross-cut shredder, consider buying one today.
You won’t regret it!
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