Casing the Place from the Curb…

This post most likely falls under the category of “dumpster diving” but I thought the title was catchier.

The holidays have come and gone, the gifts are unwrapped, and there is probably a ton of garbage to take out. Before you take out the garbage, think what you might be unexpectedly conveying to the neighborhood. Get a new plasma? I bet the box will let the world know…or a least those passing by. New Nintendo Wii? Those are a hot commodity this season.

What do we do?

Well, some boxes and other trash may be a bit more difficult to dispose of. Larger items could be broken down into smaller pieces and disposed of in trash bags. While this does not stop the determined snoop, it at least deters the average passerby. If you have received a large amount of bulky items, you may want to make arrangements with your local landfill and personally drop these items off. Be careful of the message you convey to the neighborhood. While your neighbors may be trustworthy, you do not want to make the criminal-minded’s job easier.

For everyday items, such as bills, credit card statements, pre-approved offers, and any item containing personal information, shred it. Use a cross cut or confetti shredder. Strip cut shredders do not do an adequate job of destroying documents. If you are really paranoid (like me) shred and burn. Never recycle your shredded materials as you never know how those materials are handled. If you want to simply dispose of your shredded documents, make the shreddings unappealing to the casual snoop. Mix the tiny shreds of paper with moldy leftovers from the fridge or pet waste. This will prevent people from snagging the shredded documents for possible reconstruction. Yes, I am paranoid, I know. 🙂

While these measures may seem a bit extreme, they will help improve the secure posture of your home and maybe even business.