How Important Is A Home Shredder For Personal Data Security?

Identity theft is a huge problem today. The news is full of stories of people who have literally had their names stolen. Of course, they have also had their credit destroyed and their money stolen too.

Luckily, there are many things that you can do to keep yourself and your personal information safe. One of the best things you can do is to invest in a home shredder.

As you probably know, a home shredder is simply a machine that can shred documents for you. There's a lot more to it than that, however.

For example, did you know that some shredders can also shred discs, credit cards and other materials?

Another thing that you may not know about a home shredder is that different types of shredders cut up material in different ways, and will impact the amount of security you should expect.

For instance, when things are shredded into large strips, they can often be reassembled by crafty ID thieves. On the other hand, if things are shredded into tiny little pieces, it is nearly impossible to reassemble them.

Not only is a home shredder that can shred things into small pieces safer for your data, but it's also more convenient for your household. After all, large pieces take up more much more space and are harder to manage. Confetti-like pieces, on the other hand, are more compact and take up less space.

The two main types of home shredder are the strip-cut and the cross-cut.

The strip cut, as the name suggests, cuts the material into strips. As mentioned above, this type isn't as safe in terms of identity theft. However, strip-cut shredders do tend to be less expensive than the cross-cut variety.

In this case though, it is wiser to pay more than less.

The problem with trying to cut costs when it is time to buy a shredder is that you are leaving your data vulnerable to desperate and vigilant ID thieves with lots of time on their hands.

You probably wouldn't want to buy a cheap alarm system for your house, or cheap locks for your doors. It is much more likely that you are willing to invest more for your peace of mind.

The same thing is true of a home shredder. If your shredder doesn't shred effectively it isn't going to do you any good at all. So, it's best to get a cross-cut shredder.

What should you shred? The best rule is to shred anything with your name, address, phone number, or other personal information on it, provided that it's not a document that you need to keep.

Shred-worthy documents include bank statements, credit card bills, CD's with personal information on them and expired credit cards.

A home shredder could also be used to shred old utility bills or medical records that you no longer need.

When in doubt, shred it, rather than just throwing it out.