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Have you noticed the shredder machine in your office? The main job of a shredder machine is todestroy unwanted confidential/personal documents safely. Data security andalarming increase in identity theft are the main reasons behind the increased usageof shredders.
A shredding machine is built with sharp blades to cut papersin to small pieces, making it difficult to recreate. The shredding machines nowbecome one of the important products that top the office supplies invoice. Themodern shredding machines are built to shred CDs and DVDs also.
The first paper shredder patent was issued to A.A. Low in1908. But this model is not so popular and many are not aware about documentsecurity during his time. Later in 1936 Adolf Ehinger, a German patented hisown paper shredder machine. He was inspired by the hand-cranked pasta maker andcreated a shredder machine similar to that model. It worked well and later hemodified the shredder machine with electric motor and sold to his customers.
The shredding machine was first used by governments,embassies and financial institutions. Since they handle more classifieddocuments, the shredding machine helped them to destroy confidential datasafely. Later the importance of document security was felt by many and usage ofshredders increased.
Today all businesses widely use paper shredders in order tosecure sensitive date and reduce the risk of identity theft. New laws of officesecurity and standards also emphasis use of shredders to maintain datasecurity. Selecting the right kind of shredder is important to save yourbusiness documents.
Before choosing a shredder for your office, first analyzethe volume of usage and then look for the type of shredder that matches yourrequirements. There are three major types of shredders that are available inthe office equipments market. They are strip cut shredders, cross cut shreddersand micro cut shredders.
The strip cut shredders produce long strips of paper sizedone fourth or one eight of an inch. These shredders are fast and low priced when compared to the cross cutshredders. If you are running a smalloffice and handle less sensitive data, you may opt for these types ofshredders. The cross cut shredders have speciallydesigned blades which cut the paper both horizontally and vertically, making itimpossible to recreate.
The cross cut shredders are priced high and are used toshred highly confidential documents. The micro cut shredders are mostly used intop secret government agencies and military, since these shredders literallyturns the documents to dust.
The modern shredders are coming in a more attractive designand shape that fit your desk space and beautify your office atmosphere. Theyhave many new features that help you to shred the confidential documentssafely, to prevent identity theft.
1.) How the document is shredded
The cheapest effective means to destroy a document is the strip-cut method. The shredder cuts the document in tiny vertical slices. This method is sufficient for most consumers. The other popular choice is the cross-cut shred, which cuts the document both vertically and horizontally. The cross-cut method also conserves space in the shredder bin while the strip-cut shredder bin becomes full at a quicker rate. This saves time by changing the shredder bin less, making it a wise choice for large shred jobs.
2.) The quantity of documents to shred
Industrial paper shredders are made for a continuous and/or large volume of shredding. These are used primarily by large companies. The average consumer should only require a low cost strip or cross-cut shredder
3.) The sensitivity of the document to shred
The cross-cut shred is used for highly sensitive information since strip-cut shredded documents are easier to reassemble.
As a consumer, the choices should be pretty clean on what shredder to purchase. The only remaining factor would be to make note of each name brand's warranties and history of reliability. Some of the most popular shredder name brands are Destroyit, Fellowes, GBC, and Whitaker Brothers.
Destroyit shredders range from $180 for the low volume shredder all the way up to the top of the line which meets the D.O.D. and NSA/CSS 02-01 mandatory security requirements for the destruction of TOP SECRET, COMSEC and SCI paper material priced over $5000. Fellowes offers a few shredders below $100 and cap off at around $2500. GBC has around the same price range as Fellowes. Whitaker Brothers appears to be the ‘big dog' brand with a wide selection of high volume, high security shredders tipping the scales at prices around $10,000.
Happy Shredding!