Security is how you live your life with your eye on the future. It means anticipating what could happen and making sure it doesn’t.

Far too many customers — and businesses — lose their security in the blink of an eye. They lose their wallet while traveling abroad, they fail to shred valuable papers in the comfort of their home. Whatever it is, security always seems to be balancing on a shaky thread. The secure paper shredder is designed to make sure your information never falls into the wrong hands. You might think you’re safe dumping a filebox into the dumpster, but recent statistics suggest this could be the one thing that forces your business belly up.

Should you invest in high security shredders? In today’s turbulent times…it’s your best weapon against the unknown. Here are five facts about identity fraud to be aware of.

Your Security Habits Are Not As Secure As You Think

It’s tempting to think you take the necessary precautions to keep your business safe. According to many recent studies, they’re not nearly enough. One survey saw 50% of consumers stating their security habits — or lack thereof — make them vulnerable to identity theft or other forms of fraud. This can include failing to change passwords, missing out on vital anti-viral programs, and doing business with inefficient companies. The secure paper shredder is an important tool to cut into these problems.

Identity Fraud Can Affect Anyone At Any Time

Do you think identity fraud only affects those with the worst habits? This is not just inaccurate, but wildly so. The year 2017 brought in a staggering 15 million victims of identity fraud, with 25% of these consumers discovering they were a victim of identity fraud by complete accident. Thieves today are very keen on making sure you’re none the wiser as they subtly siphon money out of your business and take important data to use for malicious purposes. Making this harder for them means using a secure paper shredder on a regular basis.

Data Theft Is Steadily Rising With No Signs Of Stopping

These incidents are only getting worse. The top executives from 300 companies ranked the security of company records as among their top five critical issues to address over the coming years. When you consider how expensive employee retention and energy costs have become, that’s no small feat. A commercial paper shredder gives you the reliability you’re sorely missing in these rough times. They keep valuable data out of the hands of thieves and make clean-up a breeze, all in one package.

Customers Will Stop Doing Business With You After A Breach

There are even more consequences should your business face a security breach. Not only will you lose thousands (perhaps millions) of dollars, you’ll also lose the good faith of your customers. One study revealed up to 40% of customers will immediately stop doing business with a company or brand if that business failed to prevent a breach. Loyal customers are your most valuable tool in saving money while making money. Keep them around with a high capacity paper shredder that can handle any volume.

A Secure Paper Shredder Saves You Time, Money, And Resources

With a secure paper shredder you, at the very least, keep a few things from happening. You ensure you don’t lose any customers to a security breach, maintaining a loyal client base that keeps your marketing costs low. You prevent the loss of vital data harming your employees and business at large. Last, but not least, you give yourself the peace-of-mind needed to put your efforts elsewhere. A high capacity paper shredder is perfect for large volumes, while smaller industrial office shredders can be used by individuals.

All it takes is one data breach to put your business at risk. Stay safe with an industrial shredder machine for your important (and not-so-important) documents.