Here in the United States, identity theft is a very real concern – one that people are growing more and more aware of with each passing year. For many people, however, personal identity protection is not the priority that it should be. As a matter of fact, nearly half of all people surveyed (49% of them, to be just a bit more exact) even said that they do not have the security habits necessary to protect them from a such a crime and are instead left open not only just to identity theft, but to other kinds of information fraud as well. And there is no doubt about it that identity theft can happen quite frequently indeed.
Fortunately, some simple changes can lower one’s risk of identity theft significantly. For instance, simply bettering your online habits can do you a world of good. After all, more people use the internet than ever, and while it is incredibly useful in many different ways, there is a good deal of inherent risk to be had as well. Cyber crime is very real, and identity theft is very much a part of that. And currently, at least here in the United States in the year of 2018, only around half of all surveyed people said that they took precautions when it came to where they gave their information when using online platforms. But just by checking to ensure that a site is secure, you can limit your chances of falling victim to identity theft, something that we should certainly all be aware of and cognizant of when using the internet.
In addition to properly and safely using the internet, keeping an eye on all of your accounts, from bank accounts to credit accounts, is another absolute must. Simply knowing what is going on in your bank accounts will do you a world of good – and provide an immense amount of overall clarity to your understanding of your financial situation. Neglecting to keep a close eye on your accounts can lead to some major issues, such as failing to notice fraudulent transactions. And when you don’t notice that fraudulent transactions are occurring, it only stands to reason that you will be in far worse shape than if you had noticed right when such transactions began to happen. Because if you notice them right away, you can take action. But for up to 24% of all people who fall victim to identity fraud, this is unfortunately not the case. In fact, this percentage of people actually ends up being surprised by their victimization and only finding out by complete accident. And at that point, it is far too likely that a great deal of damage has already been done.
Secure paper shredders can also limit how likely you are to fall victim to identity theft. As a matter of fact, secure paper shredders can conduct secure paper shredding in a number of different capacities. Of course, large scale secure paper shredders like industrial shredders, level 6 shredders, and commercial shredders can be used in many office spaces to keep all confidential documents needing to be disposed of just that – confidential. But secure paper shredders don’t need to be huge to work well. In fact, smaller scale secure paper shredders are commonly found in many a home environment. For many people, being able to properly dispose of documents through the use of something like a secure paper shredder causes a great deal of relief indeed, as they know that using such secure paper shredders greatly diminish their chances of falling victim to identity theft. Therefore, the investment into personal sized secure paper shredders is one that is most certainly more than worth it at the end of the day.
Ultimately, the threat of identity theft is most certainly a very real one. And in many ways, it is even growing as time passes on. Fortunately, we are coming up with more ways than ever before to combat it, and this alone provides a great deal of reassurance in the lives of many people. Good habits and caution can make a world of difference when it comes to avoiding identity theft.