Shred-it^®'s Security Containers and Totes: A Shield Against Data Breaches

All businesses, regardless of their industry or size, must prioritize data protection. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, in 2022, 1,774 data breaches affected over 422 million individuals and resulted in 1,802 total compromises. IBM reports that the average cost of a data breach globally reached $4.45 million in 2023, compared to $4.35 million in 2022. Notably, the United States experienced the highest average cost of a data breach, reaching an astonishing $9.48 million.

Small businesses can be more susceptible to data breaches, as they tend to have fewer resources than larger organizations to combat bad actors. If a breach does happen, it can be crippling due to potential regulatory actions, fines, legal expenses, and customer loss. Shred-it^®'s 2023 Data Protection Report (DPR) reveals that small business leaders (SBLs) surveyed acknowledge the significance of data and information protection. However, a staggering 78% of SBLs surveyed admit to not adopting an extremely proactive approach.

To help safeguard against breaches, businesses must take necessary precautions to prevent both digital and physical data attacks. Physical data breaches result from the theft of documents like proprietary business records, employee files, tax documents, customer information, medical records, and computing equipment. According to the DPR, nearly all (94%) of the SBLs surveyed agree on the importance of physical data and information protection, placing it on par with digital data protection.

Importance of Secure Document Destruction

Shredding documents is one of the most effective methods to safeguard physical papers and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Secure document destruction involves depositing documents into a locked, tamper-proof bin or container. Standard recycling or trash bins are not secure, and anyone can retrieve paper from them. The DPR indicates that 38% of SBLs that have experienced a breach reported malicious insiders as the source of their data breaches, while 55% pointed to malicious outsiders, such as dumpster divers who rummage through open trash and recycling bins, as the culprits behind their breaches.

Shred-it^®'s security containers and totes are a secure option, with locks and a beveled slot to prevent access to the documents. The containers and totes can handle up to 400 pieces of paper at a time while ensuring that inserted documents cannot be retrieved. The containers also offer a range of lock systems for added security and peace of mind. As an added benefit, they are made from recycled wood materials compliant with the Environmentally Preferred Product Certification (EPP), offering better office air quality.

Shred-it^®'s Six-Step Security Protocol

Unlike the traditional disposal process using a regular trash or recycling bin, the disposal process using Shred-it^® containers and totes strictly adheres to the following security protocol:

1. A risk assessment is conducted to help you identify potential risk areas and provide recommendations on how to mitigate.
2. Lockable containers positioned throughout your organization make the disposal of documents easy and convenient.
3. Your Trained Shred-it Representative scans your console at pick-up to confirm service.
   Your confidential documents are loaded into our GPS-equipped vehicles.
4. Your documents are removed from our GPS-equipped vehicles at our secure transfer or destruction facilities and then destroyed using NAID AAA-certified processes and cross-cut technology.
5. Proof of service certificate is provided after every material pick-up to provide confirmation that your documents have been collected.

Download our info sheet for more information on the different features of our containers as well as tote options and sizes available.