Overview of Paper Shredder Security Levels
February 8th, 2012
Today there are literally dozens of different brands of paper shredders and hundreds of different models. While there are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing a paper shredder, one option I recommend paying special attention to is the security level. The paper shredder’s security level will ultimately determine how safe and secure your shredded documents are.
Shredder security levels are based on a scale ranging from 1 to 6. This scale, excluding Level 6, is determined by DIN 32757. This is the European standard used for paper shredder security. Security Level 6 requirements, established by the United States NSA, came out after DIN 32757 was created. Each of these security levels serve a purpose.
Security levels start off with 1, being the least secure, and end with 6, being the most secure. I will explain the pros and cons to each of these security Levels.
Paper Shredder Security Levels
Security Level 1 - This level is the least secure and is rarely used for shredding sensitive information. It is typically used purely for shredding non-sensitive records or for creating padding or packaging material. This security level can be both strip cut or cross cut. These are the specific dimensions of DIN Security Level 1:
- Strip Cut: 10.5-11.8mm
- Cross Cut: 10.5mm x 40-80mm Cross Cut
Security Level 2 - This is the most common security level you will find in a strip cut paper shredder. This includes 1/8″ and ¼” strip cut shredders. It also includes some cross cut shredders that have larger cross cut particles. This can be used to shred a variety of material, and is hard to re-assemble, but is probably not enough security for most businesses. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 2:
- Strip Cut: 3.9-5.8mm
- Cross Cut: 7.5mm x 40-80mm
Security Level 3 – This security level is the most common used today by cross cut paper shredders in business. It is HIPAA and FACTA compliant and is good enough to shred client records, patient information, invoices, bills and other material. Material cut at a Level 3 is difficult to reassemble. This is the security level I recommend for most people. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 3:
- Strip Cut: 1.9mm
- Cross Cut: 3.9mm x 30-50mm
Security Level 4 – This is probably one of the least common security levels. It is more secure than Level 3, but not yet high enough to be considered high security. This is used by businesses and offices that want a little more security than the typical cross cut shredder, while still having a higher shred capacity than a high security shredder. These are the specifications of the DIN Security Level 4:
- Cross Cut: 1.9mm x 15mm
Security Level 5 – Up until a few years ago this was the highest security level available and was used to shred all top-secret documents. While the Level 5 is still used to shred highly sensitive material, most government and military entities now use a Security Level 6. This security level is still commonly found and is still widely used. Particles cut at this level are near impossible to re-assemble. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 5:
- Cross Cut: 0.78mm x 11mm
Security Level 6 – This is the highest security level available for a shredder. Paper cut by a Security Level 6 shredder almost looks like dust. A single sheet of letter-size paper is typically cut into 15,000+ particles. This security level is very popular for use with government and military. It is used by the U.S. Department of Defense, the NSA and many more agencies. These are the dimensions of the Security Level 6:
- Cross Cut: 1mm x 4-5mm
Which Is Best?
The level you use will depend entirely upon what you are shredding. I can safely tell you that the Security Level 3 is considered by many experts to be the most well-rounded level for most individuals and businesses. A Security Level 3 has a good sheet capacity, can still cut paper into tiny particles and are affordable.
You can find our entire selection of paper shredders here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions about paper shredders.


When shopping around for a 
Question 4: How much paper do you need to fold per day? Paper folding machines range from daily duty cycles of a few dozen to thousands of sheets per day. Most paper folding machines will list their motor speed and some will even list a daily duty cycle limit. It is important to know that the motor speed doesn’t necessarily reflect duty cycle, but it is a good place to start. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 if you need advice on the duty cycle of a specific machine.
Multi-function time clocks provide a versatile and effective way to keep track of employee time. These types of time clocks allow employers to determine the method they like most for employees to log in and out. These time clocks are typically digital and employee keypad, biometric and proximity time clock interfaces. One such time clock is the 
If you want to bind a booklet or instructional manual, and don’t want to use a binding format that uses a spine, you may want to consider using a 
Counterfeit bill detection is a necessary evil in a world where high-tech printers and ever-smarter criminals are producing counterfeit bills that can fool most people.
Most modern bill counters, equipped with counterfeit money detection, will scan for UV (ultraviolet) and MG (magnetic) properties. These bill counters count bills at a speed of hundreds of bills per minute. As the bills are run through the machine, sensors scan the bill for magnetic properties. This is probably the fastest way to check a bill for counterfeit properties.
Ultraviolet (UV) counterfeit detectors come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are portable and require the operator to visually confirm the stripe, where others simply pull in the bills and use a sensor to scan them. While UV counterfeit detection isn’t 100% effective, it catches most counterfeit bills. Visual UV detectors catch just about everything, but SOME automated machines may be tricked by bleached bills. If you are using an automated counterfeit detector, I recommend you use one that implements several counterfeit detection measures.
If you need to create mass copies, in the hundreds or even thousands, you may want to consider using a machine called a
Copies made on a traditional copy machine typically run around $0.02 a copy. Duplicators, once you hit around 200 copies, costs about $0.004 a copy. Simply put, a duplicator (at 25 or more copies) costs less to operate. The text printing quality of a digital duplicator is just as good as a toner-based copy machine.
We appreciate your business and are excited for the New Year. We plan on adding a lot of new machines and supplies to our site this year, so be sure to check back often. You can find our entire selection of office equipment and supplies by
Optical media discs are used to store and hold volumes of data. This data, as is the case with printed material, is susceptible to identity theft. For this reason, it is recommended to
This immense storage capability is why many sensitive documents and data are stored on optical discs. Imagine trying to store millions of pages of data physically in a room when you can put that all on a disc that is about 4.75″ (120mm) in diameter. While convenient, this also means data breaches of optical discs can be far more catastrophic than the loss of physical paper documents. For this reason, optical disc shredders are critical.
High security paper shredders, while not common in offices, are abundant in different makes and models. Most military and government agencies that use Level 6 shredders typically have to sacrifice the ability to shred CDs, DVDs or Blu-rays when using a high security shredder. A new shredder from Formax, the 
