Which practice best aligns with protecting your identity when handling sensitive documents?

• A. Keep sensitive documents in a safe place and dispose of them much later
• B. Use a private, unsecured network when disposing
• C. Shred or securely dispose of sensitive documents
• D. Ignore disposal guidelines

Answer: (C)

Proper disposal of documents containing personal information is essential to protecting your identity. Shredding or securely disposing of sensitive documents ensures the information can’t be read or reconstructed by someone else after you’re finished with them. This is the most effective way to prevent identity theft from physical papers, like bank statements, tax forms, or account numbers. Keeping documents in a safe place or delaying disposal leaves them vulnerable to breach or curious individuals, and it doesn’t remove the risk. Using a private, unsecured network to dispose of documents introduces digital risk because data could be intercepted or recovered by others. Ignoring disposal guidelines means missing the protective step that reduces exposure to your personal data.