Buying A Heavy Duty Shredder – Security Levels

The security level is one of the most important features when looking at heavy duty shredders.  The lower levels are recommended for personal home paper shredders while the higher levels are better suited for businesses.

The security level is a classification related to what is known as FACTA regulations.  These laws, passed in 2005, state that individuals and businesses who handle sensitive personal and financial documents of employees and/or customers must destroy these documents when they are being thrown away.  For example, if you are throwing away documents that contain social security numbers, you must use a shredder with at least a level 3 security rating.  If you fail to do so, you or your business could be fined or even convicted.

You might also notice that in most shredders the sheet capacity of the machine drops as the security level goes up.  Only the biggest, heavy duty shredders can shred entire folders of documents at a time.   You will have to figure out the balance between the level of security you need and the productivity you want out of your shredder.

Security Level 2 (Strip Cut)
This is the lowest level of security for paper shredders.  This is generally only recommended for shredding general documents.  This method does exactly what it says; shredding the document into long strips.  These strips could be pieced back together if someone was determined enough to read the document.  I wouldn’t recommend using a strip cut shredder for any document containing sensitive personal or financial information.  I personally would not use a strip cut shredder, when there are so many better shredders out there that offer more security.

Security Level 3 (Cross Cut)
The cross cut shredder is the next step up from strip cut shredders.  This is a huge step as far as security goes.  Cross cut shredders shred paper into small confetti-like rectangular pieces.  The majority of cross cut shredders available offer security level 3.  If you are a business handling personal or financial information it is vital that you use a shredder with a security level of 3 or higher to avoid fines or even litigation.

Security Level 4 and 5 (Cross Cut)
This method is sometimes referred to as a diamond cut shred.  These heavy duty shredders cut paper into pieces that are similar to level 3 cross cut, but the diamond-shaped, smaller pieces are harder to piece together.  The level 4 and 5 should be seriously considered if your information is vital to your company’s survival.

Security Level 6 (Micro Shred)
The micro shredders are usually only used by high level government agencies, such as the military.  These heavy duty shredders literally obliterate an average piece of paper into thousands of “micro” particles.  This method might be overkill for your business, however they are available with a hefty price tag.