Are you unwittingly helping criminals steal your identity? As it often happens, people discard a lifetime of bank statements, tax returns and credit card bills by simply sending them to the garbage bin. Of course, identity thieves are only happy to go dumpster diving for these documents as they can use the personal information these documents contain to embezzle money from you.

Probably the most secure way for people and businesses to discard personal documents is to rely on professional document storage services provided by reputable companies. These professionals will shred a client's files in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 1998 (DPA) to ensure that no information can be gleaned from them. After being shredded, the files will be recycled, completely removing any chance of identity fraud.

Your employer also holds vital information about you such as your address, social security number and the names of your family members. Fortunately, businesses and organisations are required by DPA to treat such information confidentially and carefully, including its proper disposal.

Identity theft can be a real nightmare, but properly disposing sensitive documents can help prevent it. If you have heaps of files that need shredding, make sure to contact companies that offer document shredding services.

Computer viruses, Trojans, hackers, identity thieves; you name it, the shady, criminal underbelly of the online world seems to be rife with villainous entities just waiting to grab your data and run. While many people choose to invest in efficient data protection programs, the paranoid choose instead to get back to their roots and dust off their office typewriters for reuse.

Of course, reverting to paper is one step to avoid possible leaks since most documents today are created electronically. This allows an errant employee to easily leak confidential documents—whether intentionally or not—thru e-mail or by storing them in a USB flash disk. That being said, important documents, whether they're stored as electronic files or printed on paper, will always be in jeopardy if they fall into the wrong hands.

Thankfully, there are professional document storage firms that can collect, store, and protect a client's files in an offsite location that is heavily secured with fire preventive measures. Files will only be retrieved upon a client's request and will be delivered according to their instructions.

Such companies can also help clients save money. It is a fact that files of an agency or a business eventually pile up, consuming valuable office space and requiring additional manpower for their maintenance. Having the documents professionally managed offsite, however, can reduce the expenses of the client in the long run.