When buying a paper shredder, there are a lot
of things to consider such as sheet capacity, size, price, warranty,
and so on. While these are all important considerations, none are more
important than the machine's security rating. This designation will
give you an idea of how protected your private information will be.
There are 6 different security levels. Here is a look at them....
When buying a paper shredder, there are a
lot of things to consider such as sheet capacity, size, price,
warranty, and so on. While these are all important considerations, none
are more important than the machine's security rating. This designation
will give you an idea of how protected your private information will
be. There are 6 different security levels. Here's a look at them....
Level 1. This is the first level of
shredder security and typically, only strip-cut devices come with this
rating. The strips produced by a Level 1 device can be up to 1/2"
thick, so this isn't a good rating if your documents need a great deal
of security. However, these devices are good for junk mail and such.
Level 2.
The paper bits that come out of a Level 2 machine are definitely
smaller and thus, offer more security. The strips will be up to 1/4"
wide while bits produced by a cross-cut device will be as small as
9/32". You can use a shredder with this security rating for personal
and business documents including correspondence, bills, and even
canceled checks.
Levels 3 and 4.
For general everyday shredding, a Level 3 or 4 machine is just about
perfect. These are mid-range shredders that will create paper particles
that are up to 1/8" wide, so you'll have a great amount of protection.
You can use these devices to shred bank statements, documents
containing Social Security numbers, and other private bits of
information that need to stay out of the public eye. These are perfect
machines for both business and personal use.
Level 5.
For really private information, a Level 5 shredder should be used.
Normally, these machines are only available in the cross-cut variety
and will turn a piece of paper into countless nieces that measure 1/16"
x 5/8". Some of the shredders with this rating can destroy multimedia
items (CD's, floppy disks, and so on), so they really offer a
convenient, all-in-one shredding solution.
Level 6.
Finally, there are Level 6 machines which, needless to say, provide all
the security you could ever want. These shredders have been approved by
the U.S. Department of Defense so they can be used to destroy extremely
confidential documents. Devices with this rating after often used by
government agencies such as the I.R.S. and the military, so that gives
you some idea of how much security they offer. Shreds produced by these
devices measure a tiny 1/32" x 7/16" so no one will be able to piece
your documents back together and your information will stay safe.
When you're choosing your shredder, make sure you keep these
security levels in mind so you'll be able to select a machine that will
give you the protection you need. Just remember that Level 1 shredders
provide the least amount of security while Level 6 ones provide that
most. As long as you bear that in mind, you'll be able to select the
device that's just right for your needs.
Jeff McRitchie is the Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews and blog posts on topics related
to book binding, laminating, paper shredding and office equipment. With
more than 2,500 articles that have been published in thousands of
locations on the web. If you are looking for a binding machine, report
cover, binder, laminator, lanyard, name badge, paper shredder, whiteboard, paper cutter or paper folding machine his articles are a good place to start.
