Possible Document Destruction Fraud?

There is a lot of misinformation in the document destruction industry. Some might call it #fraud or less-than-honest, but I'll stick with #misinformation. This article only deals with misinformation as it pertains to shred particle size.

A number of years ago I filed a #whistleblower #lawsuit believing companies with GSA contracts weren't able to adhere to the very strict shred particle size. As a result, the GSA changed their shred specification to coincidentally match that of the shredding association, which many document destruction companies belong. Once this change was made it was then possible to meet the specs with certain equipment, but many of the services still couldn't meet the specifications, but seemed to be overlooked

I recently files a Freedom of Information (#FOIA) request pertaining to the exact wording for the current GSA contracts as it pertains to Category 561990. I received a response dated January 7, 2022 in which it stated:

" Paper or printed material shredding must render material #unreadable by using a cross cut, pierce and tear, strip cut or pulverize, disintegrator, rotary cut or hammermill method. End product shred size must meet the following criteria:

Unclassified-Cross Cut/Pierce and Tear: 3/4 inch width (max) X 2 1/2 inch length (max) - Strip Cut: 5/8 inch width (max) X length: Indefinite - Pulverize, Disintegrator or Hammermill: Screen size (max) 2- inch diameter holes - Pulping"

It appears as though nothing GSA shred spec wise has changed over the years. Although there are some exceptions, this is the same equipment used by most shredding services when providing service to the private sector.

For those truly concerned about the security of their material, take a piece of paper and depending on the equipment type your service is using, cut a 2" diameter hole or a rectangle 3/4" by 2.5 inches or a rectangle 5/8 inches by 8.5 inches (width of a standard sheet of paper). Hold the cut-out over your most sensitive material and see if it is adequate for your security application. Keep in mind that these sizes are under ideal conditions. Some methods allow for oversized pieces and even whole checks to migrate through unshredded. If I read correctly, I believe this is why the shred association doesn't currently require a specific shred particle size.

The old shred association code of ethics states "Members shall identify to the customer the type of destruction equipment used and the particle size of the residue." That appears to be missing now. Why? With current privacy laws one would think it's much more important now.

I've read where the truth doesn't mind being questioned. Ask questions of your service and verify what you're told. Your service may be the most honest, but you still need to conduct your own due diligence. One thing has nothing to do with the other.

You may be told that particle size isn't important because there are many other links protecting your material in the custody chain until it reaches the pulping operation. There are too many links not to consider particle size as your most important concern. If small enough, you may not have to worry about failures in other links.

I've created a very inexpensive "Document Destruction Due Diligence Self Assessment Guide" for your consideration. Even if you're completely satisfied with your current service, this guide could be used as proof you went beyond reasonable in your selection.

kniselysecurity.net/duediligence.html