You’ve secured your computers and network with firewalls, anti-virus software and passwords. Now it’s time to turn an eye toward computer media. Piles of old floppy disks, DVD backups of sensitive information and CDs full of business data need to be disposed of properly when they’re no longer needed. The same machine that handles your paper document shredding can also turn your CDs and DVDs into tiny, unreadable strips.
Expect to pay $50 and up for a strong shredder. The Royal PX1000mx, for example, runs about $150 and features a safety bar, a 10-sheet crosscut shredder and a separate slot to destroy computer media, credit cards, CDs and DVDs. A trip to any office supply store will give you plenty of potential shredder options. Just check to see if the shredder handles CDs, DVDs and other computer media.
Originally published in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine