Information is an essential resource for all businesses today and is the key to growth and success. However, companies have to ensure that the information held on their IT systems is secure. 

Shredders: protecting your identity

by Robert Munro

Faced with a mountain of paper and concerns about security and identity fraud, it is high time you reviewed your shredder provision. Here we consider the pros and cons of in-house shredders and outsourced security specialists.

The paperless office is the holy grail of many businesses who need to streamline their operations, boost productivity and reduce overheads. But, despite the best efforts of the digital and IT industries, paper is still very much with us and carries with it a unique risk for companies exposed to ever more stringent confidentiality and data protection regulation.

Shredders are a regular fixture in
the average office, along with printers and photocopiers, the source of the problem in the first place 

While the growth of electronic data storage may have reduced the amount of confidential paperwork, there are still plenty of instances where confidential documents need to be destroyed.

The growth of identity fraud makes safe document disposal an even more pressing issue for businesses who do not want to end up on the six o'clock news after their confidential records were found in a skip.

Add to the mix the commercially sensitive nature of much paperwork circulating in the average office and a quick and easy way of destroying it becomes a priority.

"We regularly meet facilities managers to discuss their security shredding requirements. One of the first questions we ask is what is their company's policy on document retention and disposal, and what paper do they view as confidential and non-confidential," said Bill Swan, managing director of Paper Round, a leading security shredding operation. Time and time again we find that companies have no formal policy, leaving managers to struggle to put something sensible in place."

Once seen in only the odd James Bond movie, shredders are now a regular fixture in the average office, along with printers and photocopiers, the source of the problem in the first place.

Identity fraud

The rise of identity fraud in the UK and elsewhere has been alarming in recent years and, although much publicity has been given to so-called cyber crimes such as phishing, paper records are undoubtedly a significant chink in the armour of most companies' data protection policies. With unmonitored copying so easily done in the office environment, the chance of personal information ending up in the wrong hands is high. The Home Office estimates that identity theft costs the UK economy £1.7 billion and the British Crime Survey recently found that two per cent of adults have had their identity stolen in the past year. Confidential material is protected by the Data Protection Act and, if convicted in a magistrate's court, a company could suffer a penalty of £5,000 for a breach.

Security

Not all shredders are created equal. In fact, some do not shred at all but use more sophisticated techniques such as cross-cutting and disintegration. Given the range of shredders on the market, you need to consider carefully your needs before purchase. The most effective shredders are cross-cut or diamond shredders as opposed to machines which produce strips as this leads to greater security.

Six degrees of security

Level 1: 12mm strips

Level 2: 6mm strips

Level 3: 2mm strips (Confidential)

Level 4: 2x15mm particles (Commercially Sensitive)

Level 5: 0.8x12mm particles (Top Secret or Classified)

Level 6: 0.8x4mm particles (Top Secret or Classified)

Source: German Institute for Standardisation

Just how sensitive is the information? In the world of shredding, smaller is safer and the smaller the bits of paper produced by a machine, the harder they are to piece together afterwards by anyone intent on uncovering your secrets.

Buying advice

Type of paper to shred
Make sure your shredder can cope with the thickest paper you use, particularly if you plan on destroying photographs and graphics. Also consider its performance with glossy and other coated paper stock.

Level of use
How often will you be using your paper shredder? Some are designed for infrequent use while others can be used continuously.

One big one or a few smaller ones?
Do you want to have a large centralised shredder or a number of smaller machines distributed throughout the premises, encouraging more frequent use?

How many sheets do you need to shred at a time?
Some shredders can only deal with a few sheets of paper at once, where larger shredders can cope with book-sized offerings. As a rule, strip-cut shredders can handle more sheets than the secure cross-cut technology.

What size of paper do you need to shred?
Some shredders are designed to shred smaller documents, whereas other shredders can deal with phone books.

Is space/mobility an issue?
Shredders can be bulky and heavy, and if you need to take a shredder from one office to another, you may want to get a lighter shredder or one with wheels.

Safety
The latest shredders have safety features such as automatic turn off if touched during the shredding process.

Jam-proofing
With employees only too keen to save time by stuffing as much paper as possible into a shredder, it is important to have good anti-jam functionality. The latest shredders for larger offices have extremely effective systems making them supposedly ‘100 per cent jam-proof', designed to increase productivity levels.

Staples, credit cards, disks
Higher performance shredders can deal with harder objects like staples and credit cards, the latter function very useful in destroying redundant or expired company cards.

New developments

Fellowes recently announced Intellishred, an innovative new line of shredders for business use, equipped with an intelligent anti-jam system. "The Intellishred shredders are the smartest models on the market. This new series combines everything a shredder should be - totally reliable, quiet, safe, secure and 100 per cent jam-proof," said Fellowes European marketing director Tyron Hill.

The down side of specialist shredding is the cost, which can work out at considerably more than running a fleet of DIY shredders

Acco has refreshed its Rexel range with the emphasis on ease of use. as well as a nod to better energy efficiency. "Some of the new ranges have patented anti-jam technology, windows for viewing contents and another has a ‘lock and leave' feature. Many of our new products also have auto shutdown, saving energy, which is particularly important for customers interested in green issues," said Acco regional category specialist Jill Organ.

The Rexel Mercury shredder range has continuous flow technology to prevent jams and eliminate shredder mess. A brightly-lit paper entry glows red to warn someone if they are trying to shred too much in one go and a red light indicates the shredder will not start. The Mercury has easy-to-use controls, a backlit control panel and castors to move it around the office. The new range includes a 30 litre slim line model to fit next to the desk, through to 50/70 litre departmental models; each can shred paper, staples, paperclips, credit cards or CDs in either confetti cut or ribbon cut format.

Specialist shredding services

Outsourcing

When choosing an outsourced shredding company, you should check the following:
* Must have an administration office where records and documentation is kept for conducting business
* The premises should be isolated from other business or activities on the same site
* Organisations should have an intruder alarm installed to PD6662, monitored by an approved BS5979 alarm receiving centre
* A CCTV system with recording facilities should monitor the unloading and processing areas
* A written contract covering all transactions should exist between client and supplier
* In every case, clients should be informed if sub-contractors are used
All staff should be screened in accordance with BS7858
* All staff should sign a deed of confidentiality
* Confidential material should remain protected from unauthorised access from the point of collection to complete destruction
* The destruction of confidential material should take place within one working day of arrival at the destruction centre

If you have large quantities of confidential material to destroy, it may be worth considering the services of a specialist shredding company. With guaranteed destruction and the highest level of security, this route is probably the safest for companies with high volumes of extremely sensitive paperwork. Documents to be shredded are stored in large, locked bins which are collected on a regular basis by the shredding company and destroyed either off-site at a secure facility or on-site using mobile shredding vans. In the latter case, the customer can even witness the shredding personally.

After shredding, the company will issue a Certificate of Destruction which guarantees the material has been permanently put beyond use. Another advantage of specialist shredding is that material other than paper can be destroyed such as optical discs and hard drives.

The down side of specialist shredding is the cost, which can work out at considerably more than running a fleet of DIY shredders. You also need to consider just how safe third party shredding is, given that the growth of identity theft has made personal information a highly saleable commodity.

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) publishes the standard BS8470:2006 which ‘provides organisations with recommendations for the management and control of collection, transportation and destruction of confidential material to ensure such material is disposed of securely and safely'.

Dealing with confidential waste

• What you need to consider
  Make sure guidelines for disposal of confidential waste are drawn up and agreed by senior management
• Guidelines should be communicated to staff about what constitutes records and falls within remit of Records Retention Policy, and what working papers can be disposed of
• Infrastructure of security bins, in-house shredder and store established and clearly signed
• Appropriate security shredding contractor contracted
• Magnetic media disposal contracted
• Service provider asked to supply Certificate of Destruction
• Waste destroyed and Certificates of Destruction retained
• Certificate received by organisation and matched with internal authorisation

Contact file

Fellowes
www.fellowes.co.uk

HSM
www.securio.com

Rexel
www.rexelshredders.co.uk

Swordfish
www.snopake.com/swordfish/default.asp

Home Office Identity Theft homepage
www.identity-theft.org.uk

Fraud Prevention Organisation
www.cifas.org.uk

National Identity Fraud Week
www.stop-idfraud.co.uk