Each of us carries a photo ID that tells the world who we are. But there’s a lot more that goes into our identity. There’s a social security card, a passport, a birth certificate, countless bank and credit card statements, and more. If you want to be the only “you” out there, you need to protect everything that goes into being you, so follow these tips to protecting your personal identity.
Recognize What Still Needs to Be Paper
In the digital age that we live in, it’s common to want to scan everything. But a combination of legal requirements and cyber security threats mean you should still have physical copies of certain documents.
Eliminate Clutter
If you can’t decide what documents should be tucked away for safe keeping, use this guide. You’ll probably be able to get rid of a good amount of the papers lying around your home.
Digitize What You Can
Scan the remaining documents that don’t need to be kept as physical copies onto your computer or external hard drive. Just remember to properly dispose of your electronics the right way if you decide to switch devices.
Keep All Your Personal Identity Documents in One Place
In order keep your personal identity safe and find papers easily later on, you should designate one spot for important documents such as birth/marriage certificates, wills, deeds, etc. You can keep them in a storage box or drawer, but it’s safest to keep them in a lockable, fireproof safe.
One of the best ways to keep your personal identity safe is by getting rid of information before it has the chance to fall into the wrong hands. At Complete Shredding Solutions, we offer secure paper shredding services to complete destroy any documents you no longer need or want. For more information or to schedule a service, please call us at 516-442-1642.
