Identity theft is considered to be the fastest-growing crime within the United States. The Federal Trade Commission reported that there’s a one-in-33 chance that a person will have their identity stolen within the next year. On an annual basis, this criminal industry’s revenue amounts to $50 billion, and the costs associated with it continue to rise.
During 2015, a large percentage of businesses, medical facilities, and healthcare facilities experienced data breaches. Businesses, for example, were adversely affected by 312 data breaches. As a result, 16.2 million people within the United States were affected. Both medical and healthcare facilities were also adversely affected by 277 data breaches. Due to this, 113 million people were affected.
Between 2015 and 2016, the incidence of identity thefts rose by 16%. In 2016 alone, for example, approximately one out of every 16 adults within the United States had their identities stolen. It’s quite likely that even more individuals were victims of identity theft within 2017.
While many people may believe that more identities are stolen from online information, this is not the case. Recent data shows that almost 90% of identity thefts occur from information gained from printed sources. Government documents and benefits fraud are the most common form of identity theft that is reported. The National Criminal Justice Reference Services stated identities stolen from these types of files amounted to 34% of the overall number reported.
In order to combat identity theft from printed sources, it’s important to purge documents on a regular basis. When you schedule your document shredding, this can become a vital part of your standard routine. Paper shredding services and document destruction services assist you with protecting the identities of the individuals with whom you conduct business. Furthermore, when you’re in the healthcare and government industries, it is also essential to protect patient identities along with their financial and other sensitive information.
Regardless of the type of industry within which you’re involved, it makes sense to have secure document destruction regularly conducted. After you purge documents, these can be shredded on-site and then removed by your local shredding company. In some instances, you may prefer to have your documents shredded off-site, which is also an available service. While individuals may do their part in order to protect their personal information, this responsibility is also the purview of businesses, medical and healthcare facilities, and government offices.