Shred-it Shatters Second Guinness World Record for Most Paper Collected in 24 Hours

Shreds 168,147 pounds of Paper at Super Shred Day Event

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Shred-it, a world-leading information security company providing document destruction services, officially set its second Guinness World Record during the annual SDCCU Super Shred Event on July 20, 2013, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. In partnership with San Diego County Credit Union and Clear Channel Media & Entertainment San Diego, Shred-it provided 40 trucks that collected and destroyed 168,147 pounds of paper over a 24-hour period. Starting at 7 a.m., people throughout the area brought boxes of old documents containing personal and confidential information to immediately shred at no cost.

This record breaking event was hosted to raise awareness of the importance of data protection, and to educate individuals and organizations about ways to safeguard their private information. The threat of consumer fraud and identity theft is an increasingly common occurrence, and research shows that most identity thieves obtain information through traditional paper-based sources rather than electronic channels.

"The 2013 SDCCU Super Shred Event is one of many great Shred-it events helping Americans understand and mitigate data security breaches and identity theft," said Dan Oliver, Shred-it Vice President of Southern California. "It was a great opportunity to highlight the importance of protecting your personal information."

Shred-it received its first Guinness World Record on May 19, 2012, at the annual 9NEWS Shred-a-thon in Denver, Colo., for the most paper collected in 24 hours at multiple venues. The record setting was part of a larger benefit event for Metro Denver Crime Stoppers in an effort to draw awareness and help remove the potential for identity theft by properly destroying sensitive documents, while raising funds to help solve crimes.

To help communities and organizations across the country protect themselves from identity theft, Shred-it encourages Community Shred-it™ Events, as well as provides the following prevention tips:

Protect your business

• Implement a "shred-all" policy. To avoid the risks of human error or poor judgment, don't ask your employees to decide which documents are confidential. Simply decide that all business documents should be shredded when no longer needed.
• Don't overlook hard drives on computers. Confidential information stored on hard drives is the target of data thieves and simply erasing this information is not adequate. Physical hard drive destruction is the only 100 percent secure way to permanently destroy data from hard drives.
• Make document security convenient. Have locked receptacles in the office or at easily accessible locations to ensure that no one has access to sensitive documents after it has been disposed.
• Shred before recycling. Don't let confidential documents sit unattended in recycling bins.
• Create a culture of security. Train all employees in information security best practices to reduce human error. Explain why information protection is important and conduct regular security audits of your office to assess security performance.
• Think prevention, not reaction. Instead of just dealing with breaches as they happen, develop preventative approaches that are strategic, integrated and long-term, such as eliminating security risks at the source and permanently securing the entire document lifecycle in every part of your organization.
• Shred using a professional service. It's the only way to ensure there are no security loopholes anywhere in the process.

Protect yourself at home

• Be careful with your info. Be aware when you're giving out personal information, especially on the phone or online.
• Keep passwords private. Use strong passwords with your laptop, credit cards, bank accounts and other important websites.
• Be wise about Wi-Fi. Before you send personal information over your laptop or smartphone on a public wireless network public place, see if your information will be protected. If you use an encrypted website, it protects only the information you send to and from that site. If you use a secure wireless network, all the information you send on that network is protected.
• Safeguard your stuff. Use a locked mailbox and keep your personal documents in a secure place. Don't carry personal documents (passport, Social Security card) that you don't need on a daily basis.
• Don't leave information behind. Take your receipts when you leave a store or a restaurant.
• Check your credit. Take a look at your credit report every year and report problems right away.
• Shred to stay secure. Destroy envelopes, return address labels, unwanted receipts, checks, pre-approved credit card applications and old tax returns that are no longer required to be retained.

For a time-lapse video of the event, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=M25gVNvpSEE.

About Shred-it
Shred-it is a world-leading information security company providing document destruction services that ensure the security and integrity of our clients' private information.  The company operates 140 service locations in 16 countries worldwide, servicing more than 150,000 global, national and local businesses, including the world's top intelligence and security agencies, more than 500 police forces, 1,500 hospitals, 8,500 bank branches and 1,200 universities and colleges. For more information, please visit www.shredit.com.

SOURCE Shred-it