cross cut paper shredder 10 by Articles Exposed

Published Date: 22/12/06

I operate a lot of retail websites from my home. This means that I end up with a lot of documents containing sensitive customer information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers. It is of course my responsibility to dispose of these records in as safe a manner as possible. That's why I make sure to run everything through a cross cut paper shredder before putting it in the trash.

A cross cut paper shredder reduces documents to confetti-sized pieces that are nearly impossible for anyone (short of a forensic scientist, I suppose) to recreate the original or gather any data from the debris. This is about as thorough as it gets when it comes to disposing of highly sensitive materials. Although my customers wouldn't know if I used a cross cut paper shredder or a regular one, I feel I owe it to them to safeguard their personal information as diligently as if it were my own.

I have been so impressed with my cross cut paper shredder that I've even started recommending it to other people. I think this kind of product can benefit almost anyone, not necessarily just business owners. For example, there's been a lot of news in recent years about "identity theft," where criminals get hold of enough personal information about someone in order to sign up for credit cards or access bank accounts. There's a misconception that identity theft only occurs online and that as long as you don't transmit personal data over the Internet, you'll be safe. Well, I've heard of numerous incidents of identity theft that stemmed from crooks rooting through garbage cans on trash day and picking out fully legible documents. That's why it's important for even average people to use a cross cut paper shredder at home.

Whenever I recommend the purchase of a cross cut paper shredder, I'm invariably asked if it's really necessary to spend "all that money" in order to ensure that disposed of documents remain private. I am always quick to point out that a cross cut paper shredder doesn't cost as much as they think, and that it's not that much more expensive than single-cut models. After ordering online from a discount office supplies website and getting free shipping to boot, my cross cut paper shredder was just slightly more expensive than the basic one being sold at one of the office supply chains near my home. I figured that the peace of mind a cross cut paper shredder gives me is well worth the few extra dollars I had to pay for it.

So if you're looking for a fast and easy way to completely destroy sensitive documents, I suggest purchasing a cross cut paper shredder. Unless you've got someone from the cast of "CSI" living next door to you, you'll never have to worry about personal data being harvested from your own trash can again!

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