Keep Your Identity Safe With These 11 No-Brainer Purchases

These days, it feels like personal information is swimming around everywhere. My mail and other physical documents pile high with sensitive details, from my social security number to my emergency contact’s home address. Meanwhile, issues of cybersecurity abound. I’m frequently mailed notices that my online accounts have been involved in web leaks, and tales of cyberattacks on schools and scammers defrauding targets of thousands of dollars circulate on newsfeeds and in media. (That’s not even to mention the avalanche of spam texts and calls I regularly receive.)

Within my own bubble, I’d try to cut or rip up my private documents, but they continued to pour in faster than I could keep up with, and I got overwhelmed. That was a few years ago. I took matters into my own hands and turned to a tried-and-true solution: a home paper shredder. At just over $30, my Amazon Basics shredder has been one of the best practical purchases I’ve probably ever made.

My overwhelm and horror at my volumes of sensitive physical documents — and my urge to shred them — is valid, according to Greta Geiselman , senior director of global workplace and security at BuzzFeed Inc.

Shredding private materials helps “secur[e] personal data to ensure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands,” Geiselman explained, noting that our papers can expose credit card numbers, tax information, social security numbers, phone numbers, addresses and more.

“In my personal life, I shred most all of my documents that contain personal information — or try to,” Geiselman said. “I shred tax returns and W2s.”

The only major downside of using a shredder, she noted, is mistakenly destroying a necessary document you can’t easily replace or repair — like a social security card, birth certificate or other legal documents.

In other words, there are few disadvantages: Just take care to store your harder to replace documents a safe distance from your need-to-shred pile.

It’s important to safeguard your personal information online, too, Geiselman noted. “Our information is out there more than just what we see on paper.” A good way to jumpstart that process? Check your privacy settings on sites like Facebook and Instagram, she recommended.

Check out some of the best at-home shredders and other personal security items, including the shredder I own from Amazon Basics , below.

HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.