Home & Office Shredders: A False Sense of Security

Professional Destruction Versus DIY Approaches

Aware that discarding sensitive information is illegal, many cautious, cost-conscious businesses believe an office or personal shredder is the solution. What they fail to realize is that, whether it is the office or the home, relying on a small shredder is among the most expensive and least secure options.

The Shredding Imperative

At work, securely shredding sensitive information prior to disposal is the law. Any organization with customers or employees must comply with one or more regulations that require sensitive information to be destroyed prior to disposal. And, while the regulatory fines for disregarding this requirement grow by the day, so do client and employee retribution. At worst, they can bring a lawsuit. At minimum, they will find another place to do business.

In the home, it is a little different. While there is technically no law requiring an individual to protect their own personal information, it is important to avoid putting one’s family at risk of identity theft or privacy violations.

Personal Shredders Are Not the Solution

The first problem with relying on personal shredders, either at home or work, is that people avoid using them. Shredders are slow and laborious (not to mention noisy), and there is a strong temptation not to use them. Before long, the shredder is unplugged and collecting dust. Secondly, even if the shredder is used, it is going to end up in the trash, where dumpster divers can easily find it. It is widely known by identity thieves that shredded paper can be reconstituted (and even admitted as evidence by courts). Now, in an environment of high-speed scanners and AI, this ability is at everyone’s fingertips. The fact is, putting shredded paper in the trash—even crosscutting—only tells the bad guys what to take. They probably appreciate that. The third problem with personal shedders is that, if used with any regularity, they are prone to breakdowns. This is especially true in the office. As a result, instead of being shredded, the sensitive information piles up. Finally, someone gets frustrated and tosses it out. All anyone knows is that it’s gone. Never mind how. Fourth, and finally, even if the shredder is being used conscientiously and stays in good working order, its use provides no ongoing documented record of compliance with data protection or records retention policies. Why is this important? Because data protection regulations now require the ability to demonstrate compliance over time. Pointing to a shredder in the corner of the copy room isn’t sufficient. And so, with this additional requirement in mind, using a personal shredder takes on a new level of inconvenience, since to be compliant with regulations would require elaborate chronicling of each use. The unfortunate part is that those who attempt to use personal shredders have the right idea and the best of intentions. They just want to do right by their families and their customers.

Luckily, there is a better option.

Pacific Northwest Shredding’s mobile service is used by an increasing number of businesses and households to protect themselves.