Document shredding is something that seems relatively simple—you purchase a shredding machine, shred your documents, and dispose of the shreds. But with the advances in technology that can take a shredded document and reassemble it, the need for a shredder that makes that process virtually impossible is growing. To combat this, the document shredding industry has developed an extensive guide on paper shredding security levels, along with specific sizes and protocols to ensure that secure documents remain that way until they’re completely recycled.
This article will help you evaluate what type of shredding you require for your business. Keep in mind that a mobile shredding service or offsite shredding service will not only shred your documents, they will also co-mingle them with thousands of other documents, making it even more difficult to compromise your information.
What Are the Different Kinds of Paper Shredding Security Levels?
Before going into the details of the shredding requirements, it’s important to understand all the different types of shredders that are available for purchase or rented for a limited amount of time.
Here are some of the most popular types of paper shredders:
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- Strip-Cut Shredders: the least secure type of shredder, they use rotating knives to cut narrow strips as long as the original sheet of paper.
- Cross-cut or Confetti-Cut Shredders: these use two contra-rotating drums to cut rectangular, parallelogram, or diamond-shaped pieces.
- Particle-Cut Shredders: these machines create tiny square or circular pieces.
- Pierce-and-Tear Shredders: rotating blades pierce the paper and then tear it apart.
Most businesses choose strip-cut shredding because it’s a little cheaper, but it lacks the security of a finer cut. 90% of our mobile shredding trucks and offsite shredding facilities use pierce-and-tear shredders, which provide excellent security for virtually any business.
What Is DIN 66399, and Why Did It Replace DIN 32757?
DIN Security Standards help define and standardize the different levels of security for international paper shredding. It’s a benchmark to set the size and type of data that you need to shred appropriately.
Originally, DIN 32757 had 6 different security levels. When the standard was replaced with DIN 66399, they created 42 variations based on media, protection classes, and security levels.
DIN Protection Classes
Companies need to start the shredding process by determining what type of data they need to shred. DIN 66399 has three protection classes that help you define the requirements and classification for your data:
DIN Protection Class 1
This protection class is for internal data that’s accessible to fairly large groups. There’s very little impact that would negatively affect the company. This class still emphasizes the protection of personally identifiable information or PII, but no real specific security requirements.
DIN Protection Class 2
Protection Class 2 is for confidential data that should only be available to a small group of employees. If this data is compromised, a considerable backlash might violate contractual obligations or laws. PII has stricter requirements and you need to handle it more securely in this protection class. If a data breach occurs, there could be a considerable risk to the social standing and financial situation of individuals that it affects.
DIN Protection Class 3
Defined as the most confidential and secret data that needs authorization to access, protection Class 3 is usually restricted to a very small, named group. Unauthorized access and public knowledge could have serious consequences for the company (threatening its livelihood) and could violate professional secrecy, contracts, or legislation.
Protection of PII in this class is paramount and you must ensure at all costs to prevent a risk to the health or the personal freedom of individuals in this class.
Once you determine the proper protection class, the next step is to determine the size you need to shred your documents or media. DIN 66399 defines 7 security levels for each material classification.
DIN Security Levels
As you increase the security level, the requirements and recommendations for the shredded media become smaller. The seven security levels in the new DIN 66399 will protect your data.
Security Level P-1
P-1 is recommended for general data or information that needs to be rendered illegible for business reasons. When shredded, this data can be reproduced without using special equipment or special knowledge but usually involves a time-consuming process.
Security Level P-2
This security level is also designated for shredding general internal documents. When shredded, this data can be reproduced with equipment and only in a particularly time-consuming process.
Security Level P-3
P-3 is for shredding internal documents that contain sensitive, confidential, and personal data. When this data is shredded, you should only be able to reproduce it with considerable effort.
Security Level P-4
This security level is recommended, for particularly sensitive, confidential, and personal data. Any paper shredder with this level of security is FACTA-compliant. When you shred this data, you can only reproduce it using equipment not normally available commercially or with equipment that is of special construction.
Security Level P-5
This security level is for confidential information. Any paper shredder with this level of security is FACTA-compliant. If you were to try to reproduce this shredded data, you’re unlikely to do it without state-of-the-art equipment.
Security Level P-6
If you have confidential information demanding an exceptionally high level of security, P-6 is the level that you need. As with P-6, if you were to try to reproduce this shredded data, you’re unlikely to do it without state-of-the-art equipment.
Security Level P-7
As the highest level of security, P-7 is recommended for data that holds strictly confidential information demanding the highest security precautions. P-7 is approved by the NSA/CSS for top-secret shredding. You can’t reproduce this data with the current state of science.
| DIN Security Level | Document Type | Strip Cut Size | Cross Cut Size |
| Level P-1 | General internal documents | <3/8″ width x (length not determined) | 3/8″ x 1-1/2″ – 3/8″ x 3-1/8″ with max size 3 3/32” squared |
| Level P-2 | General internal documents | <1/4″ width x (length not determined) | Max size 1-15/64” squared |
| Level P-3 | Sensitive internal documents | <1/8″ width x (length not determined) | Max size 1/2″ squared |
| Level P-4 | Particularly sensitive documents | 1/4″ width x (length not determined) | Max size 1/4″ squared |
| Level P-5 | Confidential information | <1/16” width x (length not determined) | Max size 3/64” squared |
| Level P-6 | Exceptionally high security | <1/16” width x (length not determined) | Max size 1/64” squared |
| Level P-7 | Strictly confidential information | <1/32” width x (length not determined) | Max size 1/125” squared |
Do You Need Secure Document Shredding or Electronic Media Destruction?
Whether you’re looking for secure mobile shredding services or electronic media destruction, Shred Nations can help you find a NAID-certified provider in your area. Our trained staff of specialists can help you decide the best paper shredding security level for your documents.
Our network of contractors allows us to come to your location if you need to ensure a proper chain of custody, and you will receive a certificate of destruction that details when and where the destruction of your documents or electronics occurred. To start, fill out the form or give us a call at (800) 747-3365 to receive free shredding quotes in minutes.
