Identity Theft Labs- According to Javelin Strategies, a prominent research firm that often reports on identity theft, incidences of the crime increased by 11% from 2008 to 2009 altering the lives of 11 million Americans. If these numbers prove to be a pattern, one in every 20 Americans risks being a victim this year.

1 in 20?! That’s a rough statistic to swallow- especially so due to the fact we’re talking about very sensitive information! So how does one protect their information to ensure they aren’t that ‘one’?

Destroying your hard drives is the most secure way. I’m not just talking about your computer hard drives. Ever scanned your social security number on your scanner? Or faxed your credit card or medical records? These all contain hard drives, which means they now contain your information.

The point? RECYCLE all of your electronics! But more importantly- make sure your recycler destroys your hard drives and doesn’t resell your recyclables!