Every business produces confidential data. Customers lists, price lists, sales statistics, drafts of bids and correspondence, and memos are all examples of confidential data. All businesses also possess other people’s confidential data which is their legal responsibility to protect. These documents include employee records and personal information. Unless proper precautions are taken, important information could end up in the dumpster where it is readily, and legally, available to anybody. It is said that your garbage is the single most available source of competitive and private information. By not destroying private and proprietary data, a company may be subjecting itself to not only the risk of loss of business, but it may also be exposing itself to criminal and civil prosecution.