Shredding 101: how to perfectly destroy your documents at home

Do you really want to get rid of that bill already paid and just throw it into the trash? Do you really think tearing that letter from the bank is enough to do not put your sensitive data into circulation? Do you think it is enough to delete your address from a sheet before throwing it away? It is not.

Any sheet thrown in the garbage can be easily found and reassembled by any criminal who wants to take advantage of your data. Signatures, codes and addresses should better be destroyed. That’s what paper shredders are here for.

If you think that such complex machines are only suitable for big companies and professional offices, perhaps you don’t know that there are models specifically designed for the safety of houses and small offices.

To guide you in this choice, which may seem hard at first glance, we will illustrate some simple features to consider when purchaising a shredder for personal use.

Pick the right shredding pattern

Shredders have two different ways of cutting the papers you want to destroy: in strips or in fragments.

In general, the first type allows, at the same quality rate, to destroy a higher number of documents at a time compared to the shredders that cut into fragments. The latter, however, guaranteesa higher level of security given the smaller parts in which any sheet can be reduced. So, to choose correctly, it is important to consider the confidentiality of the data in the first place.

An evolution of the strip-cut shredder is given by the cross-cut pattern. It simultaneously destroys the sheet in two directions, making the reassembly of documents very complex. This particular feature makes it perfect for any kind of user.

Finally, it is possible to purchase cryptographic shredders, for the elimination of highly confidential data. For this reason, this type of technology is used almost exclusively by governments and military agencies.

Perfect for home

A basic level of safety can be granted even if we are talking about a shredder for domestic use. Nevertheless, when buying a shredder, it is important to always keep in mind the number of people who will be using it. So, let’s look at the size of the machine and at its motor.

Compact machines destroy about 50 papers per day, and they have the advantage of being space-saving; you can store them when they are not in use. Desk shredders, on the other hand, can eliminateup to 100 pages per day, some models even 10 sheets at a time. Unlike the compact type, they are equipped with a pratical door that makes emptying and maintenance comfortable; meanwhile, models with removable lids make it more difficult to keep the house or the office nice and neat.

The last thing to consider purchaising a shredder is our budget. There are a lot of different models and, depending on sizes and features, there is a huge difference in terms of price among them.