With identity theft on the rise, safe disposal of documents, bills and statements containing personal information is becoming increasingly important for individuals and businesses alike. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 27.3 million Americans alone have fallen victim to this menace during the last five years, and the problem isn't getting any better. Many of the fraudsters rely on picking up personal information from garbage cans, and one of the worst offenders are all those pre-approved credit card offers that make it very easy for someone to open a credit card in your name!
A paper shredder then could save you a whole lot of hassle, but which one should you choose? Your answer depends upon the level of security that you wish to implement.
In all, there are six different security levels that apply to paper shredders, the resulting shredded strip or particle size determining what security level a machine operates at. All paper shredders are generally built and sold with one security level in mind, although each manufacturer often has a range of equipment that spans the levels.
The security levels are classified as:
Level 1 - Strip-Cut 3/8" or Cross-Cut 3/8" x 1-1/2". This is the lowest security level and offers only minimal protection against fraudsters as the shredded material is still quite large in the basket.
Level 2 - Strip-Cut 1/4" . Suitable for safe disposal of internal business documents with a moderate degree of sensitivity, such as contract agreements, and also for home office and personal use. This level is adequate for destroying those pre-approved credit card application forms, although a very determined fraudster may still be able to put a document shredded at this security level back together again.
Level 3 - Strip-Cut 1/16" or Cross-Cut 1/8" x 1-1/8". This level is the standard for office and home security. Confidential documents can be safely shredded and are unlikely to be pieced back together by a fraudster…unless they've really got it in for you!
Level 4 - Cross-Cut 1/16" x 5/8". This represents the highest commercially available security level at which paper shredders are readily available to the consumer. Above this level, the price climbs steeply making it prohibitively expensive. Level 4 security is suitable for all documents up to and including those regarded as 'secret'.
Level 5 - Cross-Cut 1/32" x 1/2". Approved by the U.S. Department of Defense for shredding of top secret documents. Prices start at $1,500+ for such machines.
Level 6 - Cross-Cut 1/26" x 1/5". Up until recently, the U.S. Government was content with level 5 security. In the wake of 9/11 however, a new ultra-secure paper shredder has been introduced for safe disposal of documents deemed to be super-sensitive.
Naturally, as you might very well imagine, the higher the security level so the higher the price. Security in this day and age can cost a lot of $s.