Shredders: Product Overview

Firewalls, encryption, strong passwords – all are essential to good data security. But if an authorized user prints your important data and then throws it into the regular trash, they don't help a bit. Buying and using high-quality paper shredders is a key part of keeping your confidential information from getting into the wrong hands.

Industrial paper shredders are even more important in industries subject to government regulation. To comply with the strict privacy regulations of HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley, proper disposal of sensitive information is essential, and a reliable shredder is the only way to go.

Commercial paper shredders run the gamut from small portable shredders that can only run through 3 – 5 sheets at a time, to general office shredders that can take on up to 50 pages, to heavy-duty industrial paper shredders that reach up to 400 pages at a time or more.

There are two main types of shredders:

• Strip-cut shredders cut vertically, turning your papers into long strips. While this is fairly secure, very dedicated spies could reassemble the documents, given enough time and a lot of patience. These models are generally less expensive and require little maintenance, although the shredded paper takes up quite a bit of space.
• Cross-cut shredders shred in two directions, turning your documents into confetti that is nearly impossible to reassemble. They cost more up front than strip-cut shredders, but the resulting shreds are very compact.

Other features to look for:

• Shredders capable of handling CDs, cardboard, staples, paper clips
• Auto-reverse to clear jams
• Larger-capacity bins to cut down on bag replacement

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