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Aliases:

None

Technical Challenge:

The efficacy of a paper shredder is preventing reassembly and compromise of a shredded document is dependent on the size of the shredder residue, with the smaller average residue size being more secure and larger residue size being less secure. Unfortunately, given all of the pieces of a document, the serial nature of most shredders, and enough time, a dumpster diving adversary can piece together the document like a jigsaw puzzle. Additionally, in standard shredders, the shredded pages fall, or are otherwise transported into the refuge receptacles and form a stratum on a stratified stack of individual documents residue. The individual strata of documents written on paper of varying types or colors are easily discernable in the stratified stack. This makes it easier for an adversary to identify how the document should be reassembled. The SRDS is designed to increase security of a standard shredder by providing a shredder residue dispersion system that directs a shredded document into multiple receptacles to reduce the chance of reassembly.

Description:

The SRDS is a security paper shredder, where the residue of individual shredded documents pages are collected in multiple collections bins for disposal ensuring that no single collection bin contains the residue of any entire page. It utilizes a top deflector plate and four bins lined with bags to disperse and collect the shredded paper. The material is gravity fed from the bottom of the cutting head to the deflector plate. The plate ensures that the material does not back up into the cutting head and an entire document does not deposit into one collection bag. To further ensure that no adversary could obtain a complete document at one time, the dispersion system is coupled with a procedure of disposing the collection bags on a rotating basis. SRDS does not require the operator to do any additional work and has no moving parts.

Demonstration Capability:

A prototype has been developed.

Potential Commercial Application(s):

This technology could be utilized in any standard commercial console shredder model.

Patent Status:

Issued: United States Patent Number 6,820,830

Reference Number: 1268

If you are interested in exploring this technology further, please express your interest in writing to the:

National Security Agency
NSA Technology Transfer Program
9800 Savage Road, Suite 6541
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 20755-6541