Stay Protected, Know What Documents Should Be Shredded

Running a business in New York City is the dream of many upscale entrepreneurs. A hub of money and culture, New York companies, both large and small, set the pace of a great deal of business taking place in the United States and abroad. As a business owner, it is important to protect business-related information from getting into the wrong hands. In particular, this means shredding papers that, by all accounts, contain sensitive information that could harm a business and negatively affect operations.

Knowing what to shred and when to shred documents containing sensitive information is key to organizing a prompt and practical methodology for shredding sensitive documents. Understanding what documents should be shredded will also help to ensure your company does not accidentally destroy information that is still needed in storage. The following are some guidelines to help a business move forward with such an endeavor.

Shred Canceled Checks

While it may seem harmless to leave around a canceled check that has been voided, it is actually quite dangerous to do so. A canceled check may not be cashed but this does not mean there is not sensitive information that a passing employee could use and abuse. From routing numbers to bank account numbers a canceled check is often a goldmine to a prospective thief. There should be little question as to when to shred a canceled check, the sooner the better.

Shred Tax Returns

If you are not sure what to shred when it comes to tax returns, here is what you need to know. Since most business audits only go back about three years on average, it is generally recommended that businesses keep three or four years of returns locked away in case of an IRS audit. Returns that no longer matter still contain sensitive company information and should be shredded.

Old Brokerage And Bank Statements

When it comes to figuring out what documents should be shredded, old brokerage and bank statements are at the top of the list. While modern statement printing-practices leave off a majority of sensitive information, older statements still contain gems for data thieves to take advantage of. It is difficult for data thieves to get their hands on shredded information, so it is best not to keep these types of documents around for long.

Conclusion

Data thieves are always on the lookout for sensitive data to use to their advantage. Companies today are now more vulnerable than ever to their clever tactics. To prevent such opportunities from creating problems for your business, contact the on-site shredding experts at PROSHRED® New York today.