Author: Crown Information Managment

Hire Professionals to Destroy Old Hard Drives and Shred Documents

Once the effects of the New Year’s celebrations wear off, it’s time for a new season—tax season. We welcome spring and dread April 15^th at the same time. It’s the time of year when receipts and reports get pulled out, and the fretting over the tax bill begins. For tax professionals, they are at their busiest, running numbers, requesting additional information, and filing tax returns. Tax season is a favorite for cybercriminals. They love the opportunity to steal personal identification and falsify tax returns, and there is plenty of fodder to fill their needs. Do you know if your tax preparer is protecting your information?

Spring break is a beautiful time to relax and unwind after a long work stint through the busy first quarter of the year. Many families take this time to head out on vacation. Sadly, this is also a great time for thieves to steal your identity. It’s easy to forget that there are evil people in the world when you are soaking up the rays on vacation. The last thing you want to discover is that your identity has been stolen, and now you have to handle the ramifications. Identity theft is a crime of opportunity. You can do much to stop the event by being proactive when you hit the road toward your vacation destination.  

Hire Professionals to Maintain and Shred Your Documents

Part of keeping your identity safe at all times includes using the services of a document destruction company. They can take those records you no longer need and shred them so finely no one can put the puzzle pieces back together.

9 Tips to Keep Your Identity Safer While on Spring Break

Are you ready to enjoy your break, knowing you have thwarted cybercriminals? Check out these nine tips to keep your identity safe:

1. Clean out your wallet before you leave. Please take a moment to remove any unnecessary cards and documents with personal information. Be sure you do not have your Social Security card on you. That is a disaster waiting to happen!
2. Call your bank and credit card companies. Let your bank and credit card companies know you will be traveling. They can watch for suspicious activity and potential fraud while you are on the road.
3. Hold your mail. Put a hold on your mail to avert potential mail theft. This will prevent mail containing sensitive information from sitting unsecured in your mailbox.
4. Use the safe in your hotel room. Many hotel rooms have a safe. You can store your wallet and private documents in the safe so they are not left out where they can be quickly snatched up.
5. Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks. Thieves can easily take advantage of individuals checking their email or bank statements over unsecured Wi-Fi networks and track their activity without your knowledge. Use a private VPN when possible and limit reviewing private information while using public Wi-Fi.
6. Make wise choices when posting to social media. It is sensible to wait until you get home before posting your vacation pictures on social media. Posting while you are gone signals that you are not home and welcomes unwanted visitors.
7. Hold onto receipts. Keeping your receipts helps you stay within your vacation budget. More importantly, you can immediately check them against your bank or credit card statements and know if someone has taken the liberty of overusing your cards. 
8. Use credit cards instead of debit cards. Many banks offer protection from fraud, but credit card companies often provide better protection. They limit your liability, while debit cards have more complex terms that may include losing all your money in your account.

Protect Your Identity While on Spring Break with Help from a Dependable Company

Enjoy your vacation, knowing you have taken the right steps to protect your identity. The team at Crown Information Management offers services that help you destroy those documents that no longer need to sit in your home or workplace. We understand that identity theft can occur at any time or place. Our well-trained and dependable team has the know-how and equipment to correctly destroy records that are no longer required. We can also house your vital documents in our safe and secure facility. Look to us for all your document storage and destruction needs. 

For experienced help with media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1 Level 2 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company.  

When you start a business, you want to be successful, as quickly and as efficiently as possible. You might begin with a dream—to build a better computer, brew an excellent cup of coffee, or provide outstanding adventures for your clients, and so on. No matter which industry you enter and what the nature of your enterprise is, you will have many aspects to manage. Your days will be filled with multi-tasking—marketing, sales, production, securing supplies, handling customer concerns, and managing employees. 

Partner with Professional Shredders to Tidy Your Office

Clutter does more than make it difficult to concentrate on your work. It is a beast that swallows your productivity. It increases your anxiety and makes you want to throw in the towel. That may seem drastic but consider your tough days when your to-do list is longer than your arm and you can’t find the reports you need for the upcoming meeting. Sure, you could print more off, but why waste additional paper and ink unnecessarily when you could easily find it on a tidy desk? What about all the paper stacks holding your desk to the floor in your office? The mountains threaten to swallow you up, adding to your frustration. Sounds like a recipe for professional disaster!

Hire Professionals to Destroy and Shred Personal Documents

With the rampant misuse of today’s technology, it is easy to have your identity stolen. Cybercriminals mine social media sites, search through trash, and send out phishing messages. They are determined to gain as much information as possible and make others’ lives difficult. Protecting your own and your loved ones’ identity is vital to peace of mind and security. It is more than just a hassle when a stranger takes over and racks up credit card balances in your or your family members’ names. It can end up being a nightmare that will not end anytime soon! 

Useful Service for a Quick and Secure Way to Remove Built-Up Records

The beginning of a new year, spring cleaning, or an end-of-year clear-out are perfect opportunities to eliminate the mounds of paper that collect in office spaces. Often, companies will utilize the services of a paper shredding company for regular document destruction. They will have a secure bin in their office that gets picked up regularly. However, sometimes, there are reasons for a one-time purge of records. For example, this service is ideal when you have a large volume of documents during a business shutdown, an estate closeout, or emptying a storage unit.

Entrust Your Records Management and Destruction to a Reliable Company

Companies must be conscious of how they handle client records. Legal and medical professionals must follow laws and regulations regarding how records are to be kept and destroyed. Today’s cybercriminals are extremely stealthy and clever. They apply technology to steal information and ruin the reputation of many companies. Having a professional information management company by your side is an excellent way to ensure you follow regulations. They also help ensure cyberthugs have a more challenging time accessing any information your company keeps. As a trusted partner, you can rest assured that you have someone on your side.

Hire Professionals to Destroy Old Hard Drives and Shred Documents

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer. Now is the time to engage in the hustle and bustle of family, friends, food, and shopping. Merchants ensure their customers get the best deals on the perfect gifts. They work hard – so do cybercriminals. The holiday shopping season is the ideal time to get away with theft as consumers take advantage of deals in stores and online. Getting caught up in the excitement of getting gifts for loved ones is easy. Few want to think about those who are stealthily trying to steal a person’s identity. The unfortunate fact is that it happens all the time. You can protect yourself during the holidays by taking some extra precautions as you shop this year.

Choose a Dependable Shredding Company Instead! 

Public storage units serve an essential purpose. They are great for families in the midst of moving. They can help homeowners or apartment dwellers who need extra space for seldom-used items. Some people even use them for storing inventory for their small business. Unfortunately, some business owners believe a public storage unit is a satisfactory solution for tucking away client and company records. Keeping an office full of boxed documents is not appealing. However, there are better options that are not quite as risky, including using an information management company that understands the nuances of storing and destroying records securely.

4 Reasons NOT to Use a Public Storage Unit for Company Records

Before you take another load of boxed documents to your storage unit, consider these reasons why you shouldn’t, and instead, utilize a professional information management company with solutions to fit your needs:

1. You risk the theft of your client’s identities. The self-storage unit you used probably doesn’t have high levels of security. Once in, thieves can steal all your documents, including the ones with the clients’ personal information on them. The criminals can then pinch the identities of those within the records. A private storage company understands the importance of keeping unauthorized users from accessing records. They have safety protocols in place to ensure only those who need access get it.
2. Your records are at risk of destruction because of the elements. Self-storage units do not typically have safety features in the event of a fire, flood, or other natural disaster. In moisture-prone areas, paper documents can be damaged and grow mold and mildew. If a unit has a fire suppression system, the records will suffer damage if the system is activated. Why run the risk of losing everything when you can keep your documents with a company that has the necessary features in place to protect items within their care?
3. Your rented unit probably doesn’t have a camera. Some companies will have surveillance cameras around the premises, but that doesn’t mean there is one watching your specific unit. Experienced thieves will use this to their advantage and steal from any unit they want. Your contract will be no help, as many self-storage facilities indicate that they are not responsible for thefts. Professional document storage companies have the latest protection protocols to ensure their customers are covered.
4. You don’t have convenient access to your records. When you use a public storage unit, you must supply the racks and shelving for your boxes. If you don’t use shelving, then you run the risk of your boxes collapsing upon each other. Additionally, every time you need a file, you have to drive or send someone to your unit. The professionals can then bring you what you need.

Keep Records Out of Public Storage Units – Use Crown Information Management Instead

Save time, money, and your reputation by using the services of Crown Information Management. We provide a safe location for your documents, media, X-rays, and more. We can bring you files when you need them. Not only do we save you time and money with our convenient services, but we can show up at your current unit and shred what you no longer need. With our certifications, we can also help you meet your regulatory responsibilities. 

For secure, pest-free storage with a SOC1 Level 2 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company, call Crown Information Management at 800-979-9545. You can also contact us online to learn more about our document storage, information management, and shredding services.