A document shredder is an important mechanical apparatus which is used to shred or cut papers into scraps or pieces to ensure that these important documents will be destroyed properly or completely to ensure that the documents will not fall into the hands of a third party who might use the document for an unlawful or illegal purpose. Shredding the documents can also protect an individual or an organization from becoming a prey of some criminals or unscrupulous people. This method of destroying the documents by shredding has already been practiced way back 1935.
Document shredding has already been practiced as early as 1935 when Adolf Ehinger of Germany shredded his anti-Nazi propaganda by using a shredder which he made from the hand-crank pasta maker. He then improved the hand-crank to a motor-crank which was sold to the financial institutions and government agencies. Adolf Ehinger’s company, EBA Maschinenfabrik, made the first cross-cut paper shredders in 1959. The company still makes paper shredders under EBA Krug and Priester. Prior to Adolf Ehinger’s creation, Abbot Augustus Low of Horseshoe in Piercefield, New York, was given the credits as the inventor of the paper shredder. His patent recognized a shredder as a”waste paper receptacle” was given on August 31, 1909. During the Watergate scandal, G. Gordon Liddy used a document shredder to discard evidence which was connected to the 1972 break in at the National Democratic-Party headquarters. Since then, the government has started to realize the importance of a paper or a document shredder.
In 1979, the American Embassy in Tehran was taken over by the Iranian Militants, during this time, the highly classified documents that were shredded was pieced back with the help of the Iranian Women who were then the experts at weaving Persian Carpets. After this incident, high security shredders were made to lessen security risks and stop criminals from using the documents against these people.
Another important historical shredder event is the Iran-Cotra scandal that involved Oliver North. It was disclosed, however, that Oliver North and his secretary Fawn Hall shredded some documents which were connected to the Iran-Contra scandal. Another important event that pushed the demand for shredding is the Enron scandal and its shredded documents that pushed the demands for document shredders by business, government and individuals.
As of this day, the document shredder machine is made more efficient with the rise of technology. These document shredders are also able to give good results of the documents being shredded without leaving you to worry that the shredded papers can still be reconstructed again bringing the pieces back together. Reason for this is to ensure that these private documents will not go into the wrong hands which can hurt anybody.
Document shredding is now a famous practice which can protect an individual or an organization from the malicious elements that would just do anything to hurt other people. This practice can also protect the privacy which all of us are entitled to enjoy. More so, these documents shredding method are now a booming industry, which can also help business to prosper and grow because it can give anybody an assurance that your privacy are well taken care of and that nobody can just intrude into your privacy in all the records that you have safely saved and kept.
