Identifying & Selecting the Optimal Paper Shredder
The potential risks stemming from unauthorised access to office documents are of great concern. Leaving paper documents unattended on printers or scattered across untidy desks can make them easy prey for those who shouldn’t have access. Moreover, discarded papers with names and addresses increase the chances of identity theft.
Choosing the right paper shredder is imperative to safeguard your business, protect your clients, and uphold your reputation. This is crucial not only for your peace of mind but also for compliance with data protection regulations like the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) and EU GDPR. Nonetheless, selecting the right paper shredder is not always straightforward.
Paper shredders: Their Functionality and why they are important for your business
Two primary types of paper shredders merit consideration: strip-cut paper shredders and cross-cut paper shredders. Strip-cut paper shredders are relatively straightforward; they feed documents through a series of blades, producing strips the length of the page. Cross-cut paper shredders are more intricate and somewhat slower, making both horizontal and vertical cuts. The result is smaller, more challenging-to-reassemble paper fragments than those produced by strip-cut shredders.
Historically, strip-cut paper shredders may have sufficed in protecting against document reassembly, a process involving piecing together shreds to reconstruct documents, as demonstrated by one team that successfully reassembled one and a half million bags’ worth of shredded documents by hand [1].
Cross-cut paper shredders significantly complicate this process, with the smaller fragments they produce enhancing security. However, it is important to recognise that there are varying levels of security among cross-cut paper shredders.
Modern technology, with its increased computational power and high-resolution cameras, has led to the development of software that can reconstruct documents from hundreds of small paper fragments. In 2011, the U.S. research agency DARPA offered a USD $50,000 reward to the first team capable of reconstructing five sheets of paper from 10,000 pieces. The winning team completed the challenge in 600 worker hours, three days ahead of the deadline.
When to Consider Outsourcing Paper Shredding?
Shredding large volumes of paperwork, such as after an office purge, can be a daunting task. It demands not only a significant time commitment from someone responsible for timely document shredding but also access to robust shredding equipment. Off-the-shelf paper shredders typically found in small office supply shops are often inadequate for larger tasks, as they tend to jam, have dull blades, and frequently require replacement parts.
Industrial paper shredders are engineered to handle substantial volumes without frequent stops or part replacements. Nevertheless, they are often too costly or unwieldy for offices to acquire unless there is a specific and continuous demand.
For businesses needing one-off large paper collections, such as the destruction of archived materials, or regular services to ease office maintenance, outsourced paper shredding is a practical option. Shredding can take place on-site with mobile equipment or off-site at larger facilities. Such services assist in achieving compliance and preserving customer confidentiality.
The paper journey lifecycle, before and after shredding
ZircoDATA’s paper shredding services offer end-to-end security. Papers awaiting shredding are securely stored in lockable bins or containers until collection. Shredding can occur either on-site within your office premises or off-site at a secure shredding centre. In either case, our service guarantees the destruction of all data beyond recovery.
ZircoDATA’s paper shredding service ensures that confidential data is collected and inspected by our uniformed and security-vetted staff. Should off-site processing be necessary, the data will be transported in satellite-tracked vehicles to our secure facilities for shredding. This process maintains a high level of security during transit. The entire process, whether on-site or off-site, is meticulously documented, and upon completion, customers receive a certificate of destruction as assurance that their items have been securely destroyed.
Following the shredding process, paper is recycled without jeopardising the original owner’s privacy. ZircoDATA collaborates with local partners to promptly reintroduce the shredded paper into the supply chain, adhering to our sustainability policy.
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