Shredders Comparisons
Your Shredder Might Need Tougher Teeth
K.L. Security has made its customers aware that paper shredders should be considered security items, not just a piece of office equipment. Another aspect of that is to understand that many models of paper shredders can be used for more than just disposing of paperwork. Sensitive information is no longer just on paper products; companies often use CDs and DVDs to store everything from client names and credit cards to bank account numbers. DVDs and CDs cannot just be tossed in the trash; even if you have erased them, scratched them up or smashed them. Smart and determined thieves can often retrieve data from disc that only has cosmetic damage.
There is a security question that you should ask yourself; should my company or home office stick with a paper-only shredder or do we need a model that thoroughly destroy CDs and DVDs and other forms of multimedia as well? Here is a list of pros and cons of each type of shredder.
Shredding Speed: paper-only shredders will go through documents faster; shredders that focus on or have the multimedia option will go slower; electronic media is tougher then paper. Warning! There is a danger to trying to shred discs/plastics in a paper-only shredder. You could be hit with a wave of potentially sharp bits of former credit cards and computer discs as well as damage the cutting cylinders of your current shredder. Before you shred any plastic or media, check to make sure your shredder is rated to shred it!
Bag Changes: Shredders that destroy DVDs/CDs often require a separate bag or bin for the chopped-up plastic and metal bits. There is a reason for that; it is more environmentally responsible; electronics often go to separate disposal areas for recycling.
Maintenance: paper-only shredders require various levels of maintenance depending which style of cutting head they use; mostly different levels of oiling. Since shredders that can destroy plastic have tougher cutting heads; they need more maintenance and controlled use. Regularly scheduled oiling is a necessary element.
Security: in this area you need to decide which type of shredder you need. If you think that your primary concern should the destruction of multimedia then go with a dedicated model that can provide the heavier cutters needed. If your company or office is paper-oriented then go with a cross-cut paper shredder. There are many crosscut shredders that also support multimedia shredding. It’s best to consult with an expert first!
Price and warranty: Price is often an important factor but don’t overlook warranties. Top-shelf manufacturers will have the cutting heads on their shredders covered from ten years to life. Product quality goes a long way with the return on your investment and the warranty is a reflection of that quality.
Here is a list of companies that manufacture both paper and multimedia shredders.
Dahle (Dahle shredders can universally shred documents, many are rated for staples, while many of their CleanTEC models can shred DVDs/CDs.)
Doing a job right requires the right piece of equipment. Tossing your paperwork and multimedia into the garbage without properly destroying it is too much of an identity theft risk. Shredders aren’t only for paper anymore. There are models that can destroy computer discs, DVDs, CDs, prescription pill bottles, credit cards and hard drive parts. One final piece of advice, many brand name manufacturers offer combo models that can switch between multimedia and paper modes. Be certain to ask the right questions and learn how each of these models shreds the different materials as well as learn the most you can regarding ratings and warranties for the cutting heads.
Product names, logos, brands and other trademarks featured or referred to within dahleshredder.com website are the property of their respective trademark holders. This blog has been compiled for research purposes only, for more information please visit our terms and conditions
Whether at home or in the office, there is a matter that should concern you, the disposal of paperwork. Even you no longer need a certain piece of information, someone else might want it. It is 2012 and everyone is aware of the danger of identity theft, the US Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million cases of identity theft take place in the United States alone. There are myriad ways to defend your personal information but you can’t afford to end the fight at the garbage can. When deposing of paperwork that contains financial, personal or otherwise sensitive information; it is important to render them unusable to those who would desire that information for their own ends. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to use a paper shredder.
Paper shredders are not a new invention. The first patent for one was issued in 1909 and they have been mass-produced since the 1950s. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that they came into major use among non-governmental entities when the Supreme Court ruled that the 4th Amendment does not prohibit warrant-less search and seizure of garbage placed outside of a home or office. Shredders quickly became popular due to privacy concerns. Since then the law, environmental concerns, identity theft and industrial espionage have made them even more omnipresent in the workplace and home.
There are several different models of paper shredders. From small ones that can fit over a wastebasket to huge commercial designs that shred thousands of documents per hour; there are even top-secret models used by such government agencies as the NSA. The two types of shredders we’ll be discussing are the cross cut and strip cut designs and what are the pros and cons of each design.
The strip cut models use rotating knives to cut narrow strips as long as the original piece of paper. Cross cut models (also called confetti cuts) use two contra-rotating drums to cut the paper into rectangular, parallelogram or diamond-shaped sheds.
Here in comparison are the weaknesses and strengths of the two models:
Speed: in this category the strip cut model wins out. The cross cut is slower because it cuts the paper into more pieces.
Bag changes: the advantage is the cross cut design because the smaller pieces. Far more can fit into one refuse bag because the shredded are smaller than the strips.
Maintenance: Shredders require regular oiling to function properly. Strip cut machines require less oil then cross cut ones because they are cutting less. Dahle has recently released the CleanTEC paper shredders that all have automatic oiling features.
Security: This one should be your primary concern. Cross cut models offer far more security because they cut the paper into smaller shreds that are virtually impossible to piece back together. The cut paper produced by strip cut machines can (and in several cases have been) pieced back into their original form by determined people.
Price: Cross cut machines are generally more expensive then strip cut models. This question should be answered by considering how much paper shredding that you need to do.
Here is a list of companies that make commercial shredder models:
It’s up to you to decide which factor is the most important aspect in your decision to buy a shredder. Here at K.L. Security, we want to make sure you have all the facts about your security products and believe us; shredders are security products. Protect your clients, personal information and vital paperwork; shred them when you toss them!
Written by: Joseph Fowler
Product names, logos, brands and other trademarks featured or referred to within dahleshredder.com website are the property of their respective trademark holders. This bloghas been compiled for research purposes only and does not constitute our endorsement of any brand, product or service. For more information please visit our terms and conditions
Industrial espionage is rife. Newspaper headlines are often filled with tales of defecting executives and disgruntled employees that have been accused of selling company secrets to rival businesses, and there seems to be no end to the lengths that some people are willing to go to in order to steal company data.
How serious is it? U.S. Intelligence officials estimate the financial cost of such actions could run as high as $250bn a year in lost sales for American businesses. Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, Google, Renault, Motorola, Intel, and General Electric have already fallen victim to industrial espionage, and more will surely follow.
If these examples prove anything, it is that you cannot afford to take chances with your data. The more control you have over company documents the better, and when the time comes to dispose of sensitive materials, you need to do it right.
For instance, do you send your paper shredding to an off-site vendor? The risks of doing so are greater than you might think. Here are five reasons why shredding your documents on-site and in-house is better for your security.
1. Regulatory Compliance – The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act dictates that businesses disposing of credit check data need to do so securely so that it cannot be compromised in any way. Similar safeguards are required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. On-site paper shredders are a great way to fulfill these regulations immediately, and without further legal action.
2. Risk Mitigation – The less people that have access to your confidential information, the better. Paper shredders are a sound risk reduction strategy because they instantly remove access to a given document and ensure that it cannot be used against you now, or in the future.
3. Identity Theft – It is one of the biggest growing crimes in recent years, yet something that is easy to guard against with the judicious use of a paper shredder. Give your clients the protection they deserve and shred their confidential data in-house instead of calling in outsiders.
4. Court Room Confidence – In the event of industrial espionage, American companies are protected by the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, so long as the secrets that were compromised were subject to reasonable security measures. In other words, if it was recovered from a dumpster, left in a coffee shop, or it fell out the back of an off-site shredding truck, your hopes of successfully prosecuting those responsible may well be diminished. Don’t take chances. Shred your documents when you are finished with them.
5. Peace of Mind – Can you really trust outside shredding companies to guarantee your documents are handled securely? How well do you really know your shredding company? What is their record like with other customers? What about their drivers, their procedures, their schedules? The peace of mind you get from doing something yourself cannot be matched, because you know that it has been done right. Shredding documents in-house ensures this.
Document security is not something you can afford to be lax with, because the moment you let your guard down, your company is left exposed, and the risk of data loss is increased. So if you’re truly concerned about industrial espionage, and the effects that it could have on your business, invest in some in-house paper shredders. It may just be the best decision you ever make.