Shred-it is an

information security Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthori ...

solution provided by Stericycle Inc. Its services include document destruction, hard drive destruction, and specialty item shredding. The company is also known for its Annual Data Protection Report commissioned with

Ipsos Ipsos Group S.A. () (an acronym of ) is a multinational market research and consulting firm with headquarters in Paris, France. The company was founded in 1975 by Didier Truchot, Chairman of the company, and has been publicly traded on the P ...

, a yearly survey of small business owners, C-level executives and consumers focusing on data protection and information security.

History

Greg Brophy founded Shred-it in 1988 and incorporated the company in 1989. In 1993, Brophy expanded the business by launching a manufacturing division called Securit Manufacturing Solutions "SMS". Today, SMS manufactures security consoles and specialty shredding trucks for all Shred-it's branches. It also sells industrial shredding equipment to other secure information destruction businesses. In 2014, Shred-it merged with

Cintas Cintas Corporation () is an American corporation headquartered in Mason, Ohio which provides a range of products and services to businesses including uniforms, mats, mops, cleaning and restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, fire ex ...

Document Shredding, which now operates under the Shred-it name. In 2015, Stericycle acquired Shred-it and began positioning the company as one of its many waste management and compliance services.

Secure Information Destruction Services

Document Destruction

Shred-it offers document destruction services where paper documents are shredded using industrial paper shredders. This service is offered on a one-time or on a recurring basis. Shred-it maintains a fleet of trucks that can provide this service on-site or deliver materials to Shred-it's facilities for destruction. The trucks are prominently featured at ''Community Shred-it'' events, where Shred-it partners with organizations like

Crime Stoppers Crime Stoppers or Crimestoppers is a community program that helps people to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. Often managed by non-profit groups or the police, it operates separately from the emergency telephone number syst ...

, to raise awareness about identity theft and fraud, while providing a safe way to dispose of documents with confidential information. Shred-it provides a custom quote for every document destruction job and ensures all paper waste is recycled.

Hard Drive, Digital Media, and Specialty Item Destruction

Shred-it provides secure information destruction for hard drives and digital media. Deliberately damaging these devices is the only way to ensure confidential information can no longer be retrieved. Shred-it has two methods for securely destroying digital information. Shearing slices hard drives into minuscule pieces using 40,000 lbs of combined force while crushing uses 7,500 lbs of force pressure to drill irreparable holes in the hard drive, so information can never be recovered. The company also offers specialty item shredding, which involves destruction of any item that poses a threat to a business’ reputation or security. Shred-it's specialty item services dispose of items, like uniforms to casino chips, ID badges, prototypes, pill bottles, or material with outdated branding.

References

{{Waste Privately held companies of Canada American companies established in 1988 Business services companies of the United States