This cross-cut shredder offers an easy-to-use, quick, and safe way to dispose of sensitive paperwork, old credit cards, and data DVDs. It can run jam-free 15 sheets at a time for over.
High security shredders evaluated under NSA/CSS specifications
American government agencies need to adhere to minimum requirements determined by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding paper shredders.
- High-end Micro-Cut Shredders: These cost between $100 and $300. Those on the top end of the spectrum will have about all the extra features you can think of, plus a formidable duty cycle and sheets per pass, but even the less expensive models are more than enough shredder for all but the most heavy-duty environments. High-end Cross-Cut Shredders.
- These secure shredders are available in models that range from individual to commercial sizes. The cut style of a shredder determines its security level. This will dictate what types of documents it can safely shred. A high security shredder is classfied as any shredder that is Micro-Cut (P-5), Super Micro-Cut (P-6) or High Security (P-7).
High-security paper shredders under NSA/CSS need to reduce paper documents to particles measuring 1/32 by 7/32 inch, or less, which corresponds to security level 6 or DIN P-7.
Top 7 US Government Approved Shredders
This page consists of a list of NSA approved shredders. It also provides additional information about NSA/CSS standards for document destruction.
All NSA shredders below meet the following requirements
- On NSA/CSS Evaluated Product List (EPL): Yes
- TAA Compliant: Yes
- Security Level: Level 6 / DIN P-7
#1 | Destroyit 2600/2 SMC High Security Paper Shredder
“Mobile, reliable and secure cross-cut shredder.”
This cross cut-paper shredder meets NSA/CSS Specification. It features automatic start/stop, quiet dust-free operation, casters for total mobility and a continuous-duty motor, as well as a low maintenance automatic oiler.
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 6 pages
- Bin capacity: 13 gallon
- Noise level: 52 dB
#2 | Datastroyer 1628 MS
“This shredder can even do top-secret shredding.”
This shredder uses hardened steel cutting cylinders tightly aligned for tearing paper down to an incredibly fine confetti cut. It is durable and designed with the office in mind, with office-friendly cabinets, generous bin capacities, full bin sensors, and casters for better mobility. It also features specially-adjusted drives, thermally protected motors, and automatic start/stop sensors.
- Security level: Level 6 DIN P-7
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 18 pages
- Bin capacity: 16 gallon
- Noise level: 52 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
#3 | Datastroyer 502 SF
“An excellent choice for high security shredding.”
This high-security cross-cut shredder comes with an automatic oiler, a 2-gallon case of oil, and starter shredder bags. This shredder extremely high security and heavy-duty. It shreds paper into almost dust-like particles. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about overheating or paper jams. The handy indicator lights will always tell you if it needs any attention.
- Security level: Level 6 / DIN P-7
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 10 pages
- Bin capacity: 37 gallon
- Noise level: 62 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
#4 | Intimus 120 CC6
Secure Shred Paper Shredder
“A quiet and mobile high-security shredder.”
This high-security cross-cut shredder has low noise levels, an integrated auto-reverse function for easy removal of paper jams, and a sealed dust-free design with a robust wooden cabinet. It is mounted on rollers for flexible use and has light indicators for stand-by, a basket full, door open, and paper jam so that you know if it needs any attention.
- Security level: Level 6 DIN P-7
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 10 pages
- Bin capacity: 32 gallon
- Noise level: 57 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
#5 | Datastroyer DS-3
“Highly secure and portable paper shredder.”
High Secure Shredder Reviews
This small and portable high-security deployment paper shredder is the perfect solution to your deployment or mobile data destruction needs. It features auto-starts and comes in an easily traveling hard case. It meets the NEW NSA/CSS specifications and can shredder paper into dust-like particles, making it super secure.
- Security level:Level 6 DIN P-7
- Sheet capacity: 7 pages
- Bin capacity: 3 gallon
- Noise level: 52 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
#6 | Fellowes Powershred HS-1010
“Ultra secure and environmentally aware micro-cut shredder.”
Higher-capacity and ultra-fine micro-cut shredder are for your most top-secret documents. It meets NSA security requirements. Its energy savings system helps reduce energy costs and zero energy consumption when inactive. The electronically controlled safety shield stops shredder when it gets opened, and the SilentShred function offers ultra-quiet performance for shared workspaces. This shredder from Fellowes is also known as Fortishred.
- Security level: Level 6 / DIN P-7
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 10 pages
- Bin capacity: 37 gallon
- Noise level: 62 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
#7 | HSM Securio B24
“Cross-cut shredder made for durable, safe high quality materials.”
This powerful cross-cut is a desk-side size and high security to help protect sensitive information. It has Jam-stop technology to prevent jams when overloaded, even though its continuous duty operation lets you keep shredding with virtually no downtime. Automatic start/stop functions allow easy use.
- Security level: Level 6 DIN P-7
- Run-time: Continuous
- Sheet capacity: 8 pages
- Bin capacity: 9 gallon
- Noise level: 56 dB
Check Price (Whitaker)
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Get NSA shredder advice from American security experts
Want to know the price of a NSA Shredder? Or do you want to know more about these machines? Then request a free quote with security expert advice.
More NSA listed shredding machines
Do you want to see more high-security paper shredders that are NSA/CSS approved? Then check the NSA shredder collection over at our partner Whitaker Brothers.
What are the criteria for an NSA/CSS shredder?
Paper shredders bought by an American Government agency have higher regulatory standards. These rules were introduced to ensure that governments use handled data confidentially. Rules are determined by the Department Of Defence (DOD) and the National Security Agency (NSA).
- DOD guidelines for government paper shredders are applicable for the military, which use the highest security level available. Confidential destruction of the paper data is the primary goal of the DOD.
- NSA guidelines for government shredders apply to all government agencies. The NSA compiles an Evaluated product list of shredders who meet specific data protection criteria.
More info?Read our Paper Shredder Buying Guide.
When is a shredder NSA or DOD approved?
The National Security Agency has divided government data into various security levels, ranging from 1 to security level 6, depending on the snippet size. Many government agencies fall into security level 3 and deal with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Government institutions that work with Classified Information (CI) fall into the highest security level 6. A DOD compliant paper shredder is always security level 6.
- Security Level 3, Minimal DIN P-4
- Security Level 6, Minimal DIN P-7 (smallest shred size possible)
These security levels correspond to minimal DIN levels for the government paper shredder, and documents used in a DOD agency have to be shredded by a paper shredder of DIN level 7. An agency can always buy a paper shredder with a higher security level. Read more about security levels in our paper shredder guide.
In addition to these rules for the safe destruction of government data, government agencies in the United States of America (USA) need to buy paper shredders under the Trade Agreement Act (TAA). This includes paper shredders bought from suppliers. Here is where the General Service Administration (GSA) Schedule comes into play.
- The TAA is an international agreement to make global trade more “fair”. Government agencies cannot buy paper shredders from countries that are not included in the TAA.
- GSA Schedule suppliers are certified to sell to government agencies.
What does TAA stand for?
The TAA stands for Trade Agreements Act. The central government created this act to ensure a fair international trade playing field between countries. This includes paper shredders for the government market. The act requires suppliers and manufacturers to make sure that government paper shredders are ‘substantially’ made within a country under the TAA, read more.
Which countries are not part of the TAA?
Below is a list of countries that are not under the TAA, we did this because most countries in the world are under the TAA. Note that the list mainly consists out of big Asian manufacturing countries.
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Malaysia
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Sri Lanka
Because the list could have changed over time we recommend to check the most recent list of countries that are not TAA Compliant.
By Cara Dettmann/ 8 December 2020
Got some important files you need to get rid of? Throwing them away in the trashcan is not enough – you’ll want to get them chopped up first.
Download pilotes dell inkjet driver. Thanks to advancements in technology, you don’t have to do it with a pair of scissors, either (we know you were reaching for them).
A shredder is a great piece of equipment that cuts your papers so you can dispose of them more efficiently. The problem is, with so many shredders to choose from, it can get kind of confusing.
Thankfully we have shredder security levels to help us make picking a shredder a little easier.
Shredder Security Levels Explained
Paper shredders are quite easy to categorize. The levels go from P2 to P7, with P2 offering the lowest amount of shredder security and P7 offering the highest.
P2
P2 shredders offer the least amount of shredder security, but do not be fooled; they can still shred documents super fast, allowing you to move more quickly and productively through your shredding tasks. Even more, you wouldn’t have to worry about tearing documents by hand anymore! The P2 shredders can either come as cross cut or strip cut, however, even as a strip cut shredder. Strip cut shredders are usually less expensive, but offer less security. However, even as a strip cut shredder, the P2 produces shredded paper in the form of thin strips. This puts your private information at a lower risk of falling into the wrong hands.
P2 shredders are great for general and/or personal shredding purposes, and to keep your home or office nice and clean.
P3 and P4
P3 and P4, shredders are for dealing with more important documents. You’ll see these in a lot of office buildings because they’re great for shredding mildly confidential paperwork. P3 shredders, or level 3 shredders can be both, strip cut or cross cut, while P4 shredders, or level 4 shredders, are primarily cross cut.
Trying to reproduce copies of the shredded papers would be difficult to do without the proper equipment (and chances are, this alone would dissuade many people from doing so) so you can be much more confident that your documents have been successfully destroyed.
P5
This is where you begin to get into government usage.
The government understandably deals with a large number of confidential projects, with many documents to sort through. P5 shredders, or Level 5 shredders, make sure that information never gets leaked. While these shredders may not be entirely suitable for highly confidential information, they make a great choice information such as social security numbers. Nevertheless, if you are considering a P5 shredder or higher, it is important to keep in mind that the smaller the particle output, the lower the productivity. This just means that these high security shredders are not high volume shredders and therefore cannot shred large amounts of paper at once.
These shredders are the favorite choice of the U.S. military and for low confidential papers of the FBI/CIA, and protect a great deal against any potential attempts at espionage.
P6
A step up from P5 shredders, are P6 shredders, or Level 6 shredders which cut paper down into particles less than 1/64 of an inch.
Level 6 shredding is almost exclusively used by government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the CIA. They can effectively destroy files without the risk of someone stealing, reusing, and recreating the information.
Of course, there were still a select few who thought that 1/64 of an inch was still not enough, so to satisfy their needs there is the…
P7
Nothing, and we mean nothing, gets in the way of a P7 shredder.
This high-security shredder cuts paper down to such a small size (half the size of the P6), that it is scientifically impossible to recreate the shredded document by current means. The P7 is the newer P6 that has been NSA tested, and complies with their current classified destruction regulations. However, even the most heavy duty shredders are only capable of handling ten sheets per pass at most. Therefore, though P7 shredders offer high-security data destruction, they should be handled more carefully.
This is only needed for the highly confidential documents, so the chances of you needing to invest in this expensive piece of equipment are pretty low.
Nonetheless, these monsters do some pretty epic work, and when they’ve got a job to do, they make sure it’s done right.
We’re Ready to Shred
When you need a reliable shredder for you or your company’s needs, you can count on us to do the job right.
We cover all shredder security levels and have the latest in shredder technology. No matter what job you need to be done, you can be sure we’ve got you covered.
Got more than paper to waste? We’ve also got more data destruction machines such as CD & DVD shredders, hard drive degaussers/destroyers, and SDD destroyers, and disintegrators for multimedia shredding and much more.
Give us a call or message us to find out how we can better serve you. We hope to hear from you soon.
If you’re interested in the process of reducing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field stored on tape and disk media such as computer and hard drives, check this link that will take you to our main page for degaussers. https://www.datastroyer.com/degaussers/
