Paper shredder

Paper shredders are used to cut paper into very fine strips or tiny paper chips. This is usually done by individuals or organizations to destroy confidential documents in such a manner that they are impossible to read. Privacy experts often recommend that individuals shred bills, account statements, and other documents to keep those who would use the items to commit fraud or identity theft.

Related Topics:
Paper - Confidential - Privacy - Fraud - Identity theft

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However, careless users of cheaper shredders can have their privacy violated despite this precaution. For instance, if a person simply shreds the documents and does nothing else beyond putting it in the garbage, all the shredded pieces can be collected by an investigator. Once collected, they can be reassembled in an attempt to discover the content of the documents (see Unshredding). For maximum security, documents should be shredded so that the words of the document go through the shredder horizontally, perpendicular to the blades. Many of the documents in the Enron accountancy scandal were fed through the shredder the wrong way, making them easier to reassemble.

Related Topics:
Garbage - Unshredding - Enron - Accountancy scandal

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