Tag: semshred

Masters of Destruction – Electronic Media Shredding

June 13, 2018 at 4:29 pm by SEM

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Masters of Destruction

Westboro company specialist in sensitive data

By Martin Luttrell TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

For decades, the federal government and private businesses have used Security Engineered Machinery equipment to shred paper records, and more recently, computer drives, CDs and other electronic records.

And with sensitive information remaining on old computer hard drives, cell phones and BlackBerries, the Walkup Drive company is expanding into full-service data destruction for clients that want secure handling and destruction of their electronic devices.

Founded in Millbury in the late 1960s, SEM employs 44 and is the largest manufacturer of document- and electronic-disintegration equipment, with its shredding and disintegration machines in use by the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, in State Department embassies around the world and by the U.S. Postal Service. More than 400 central banks worldwide use the company’s equipment for shredding old currency.

The federal government has been the biggest customer, but private industry is catching up as accidental releases of sensitive data make headlines.

SEM showed a reporter a room the company renovated from warehouse space that now houses machines for shredding computers and other electronic data storage devices. Computer hard drives, keyboards and towers moved up an inclined conveyer about 12 feet, where they were dropped into a hopper and ground into pieces an inch or two in size.

“The federal government is light years ahead of the private sector in security,” Mr. Dempsey said. “A lot of companies have paper shredders. But what happens to a CD or diskette? The government has been doing this for years.

“There is not a piece of equipment here that has not been cleared by the NSA (National Security Agency) for classified destruction,” he said. “Not all companies will spend $25,000 for a machine like this. That’s where this service comes into play. We have people that walk in with one hard drive, and we’ll destroy it and let them witness it.”

Clients who ship their items to SEM can even watch over a designated Web site as their computers or other items are destroyed; some 17 video cameras mounted in the ceiling, and more in the hoppers of the machines, beam images of the process.

“We send it premium freight so it can be tracked door to door,” he said. “Some clients put GPS (global positioning system) inside so they know where it is all the time.”

SEM puts bar codes on the hard drives slated for destruction so the customer can document the process, he said.

Inside a locked cage along one wall were several cases and military transport containers holding computer components slated for destruction.

“We look at ourselves as being in the security business,” Mr. Dempsey said. “We approach our shredding as a security division. We’re interested in hard drives, cell phones, DVDs, CD-ROMs and unconventional items,” including X-rays, he said.

Mr. Dempsey held pieces of a computer that had gone through a disintegrator, noting that they were a couple of inches in length. Some clients require that their magnetic data items be in smaller pieces, and those go into another machine, which tears them into pieces an eighth of an inch in diameter.

He pointed out that a piece of a CD that goes through an office shredder contains much more information than would be printed on a piece of office paper. Sophisticated equipment could be used to retrieve that information, along with data thought to be deleted from hard drives, cell phones and other electronic devices, he said.

In addition to tearing electronic data equipment into small pieces, SEM can also use a method known as degaussing, or erasing electronic data, before destroying it, he said.

“From a private-industry point of view, degaussing is all you need to do,” Mr. Dempsey said. “What we’re now seeing in Fortune 500 companies is that they’re defaulting to the federal government’s standards that are NSA-approved.”

He said that when companies consider the damage that could result from sensitive information being compromised, data security is increasingly in demand.

“We bring credibility to the table,” he said. “We’re in the security business. Quite a few of our employees have obtained clearances. They get a background check. We do DOD work. Anyone in this room would need a clearance,” he said, referring to those working in the company’s destruction service.

All employees are drug-screened and go through background and criminal checks, he said.

Mr. Dempsey would not talk about the private company’s finances, but said it made $20,000 from its destruction services two years ago and $300,000 this year. The demand is growing, he said.

“We’ve seen an explosion from companies with financial and health care” records. “With some of the information compromises that have been in the press, they’re adapting. We know how to deal with those issues. …Crisis management is not proactive. That happens after data has been compromised.”

He said the company spent 13 months renovating the area now used for destruction services. Now, he wants the operation to be deemed a secure facility so that it can take on the federal government as a client. That could take another year, he said.

“So far, we’ve been under the radar, doing this as a favor for our clients.”

Maybe Paper Isn’t the Only Thing You Should Be Shredding

at 4:27 pm by SEM

SIGNAL CONNECTIONS E-newsletter August 15, 2005

Hard drive disposal has become a hot topic over the past few years for both the defense community and the private sector. As personal computers advance and older units become obsolete, disposal of sensitive information still left on the hard drive is of serious concern. For most companies simply throwing the computers or drives away is not an option. Some choose to “erase” the drive with either software or degaussing equipment, but experts agree that the process is not always 100% effective. The best way to be certain that important information is not accessible after disposal is to physically destroy the hard drive. Current methods for destruction or defacing prior to disposal can be effective but are often primitive and labor intensive. They include everything from drilling, crushing or removing the platter for sanding or grinding. Recently, at the request of several customers, SEM began developing machines to destroy entire hard drives, by turning them into an unrecognizable pile of shredded material.

Through testing several combinations, exploring alternate materials and working out safety concerns, we enhanced two of our current disintegrators (industrial shredders) to successfully destroy hard drives. The process is actually very simple. Drives are placed into one of our disintegrators and are continually shredded until the particles are small enough to pass through a waste disposal screen. The unrecognizable, unreconstructable waste can then be disposed without fear of information theft. This type of one-step destruction is viable and cost-effective for many companies. However, as in all forms of destruction, understanding the process and knowing the requirements is the key to success.

Limitations/Maintenance – One-step destruction does have limitations and maintenance associated with it. There are limitations on drive size (1 ½ lbs. case weight), volume (drives fed per hour) and collection capacity depending on the method chosen. Maintenance includes periodic blade sharpening, lubrication and replacement of consumable items, all determined by amount of use and volume. None of these items alone or combined are deterrents but must be factored into the cost and overall maintenance budget.

Understanding How the Disintegrator Works – The disintegrator or industrial shredder is a rotary knife mill, which uses a number of rotating and stationary knives working in unison to create a scissor-type cutting action. The level to which the product is cut or broken up is determined by an interchangeable sizing screen. Screens are available with various hole sizes, which allows the end user to tailor the final particle size to their requirements of security. Once the product is destroyed and passed through the sizing screen, it falls into a tote bin or larger collection device (drum, cart, or dumpster).

Going Beyond the Hard Drive – Once we had perfected hard drive destruction, we in the destruction community were faced with another challenge. It seems the process of opening all the computer cases and removing all the hard drives was becoming a burden to the folks charged with sending us the drives. It may seem like a small thing, but many older tower computers may require as many as 10 screws to be removed before a drive can be taken out. The procedure could take several minutes. In response to demands to simplify the process, we have developed a machine that will destroy an entire tower or desktop CPU with no need to open the case or remove any items. The dual-shaft design machine literally shreds them into 2” wide pieces at random lengths. The 2” particle size can be reduced even further, if desired, by running it through a disintegrator.

What About Cost? – The decision to purchase a system should not be based on cost, but on potential risk. For lower volumes, destruction services are an option. Even so, many companies simply cannot afford to purchase this equipment for the relatively small number of computers that need to be destroyed. In these cases, we recommend investigating a destruction service. At SEM we not only sell the equipment, but we maintain and operate a full-scale destruction facility. So, if you have old computers to dispose of, stop and think about the best way to do it. Destruction, specifically shredding, just might be the answer.

About the Author – Leonard Rosen is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Security Engineered Machinery. He has over 40 years of experience in the field of information security and destruction.

Destruction System reduces SSDs and other Electronic Media to Less Than 0.5mm Particles – Meets DIN E-7

at 4:06 pm by SEM

WESTBORO, MA — The SEM Model SSD1-HS from Security Engineered Machinery reduces solid state devices to waste particles of .5mm squared or less and meets DIN 66399 Standard E-7; smaller than the NSA requirement for sanitization of SSD devices per NSA/CSS EPL 9-12. Absolute destruction through repetitive high speed cutting of memory media ensure all data is properly sanitized.

Storage media is continuously cut until it is small enough to pass through a customer selected waste sizing system to meet customer’s security level or a specific DIN Level. Items that can be destroyed in the Model SSD1-HS include solid state boards, RAM, smart phone / cell phone components, SIM cards, USB flash drives, compact flash and even optical discs. The Model SSD1-HS is a compact, self-contained destruction system with all components housed within a custom enclosure for maximum sound, odor and dust control.

The Model SSD1-HS destruction capacity is dependent on the media being destroyed and the customer selected sizing screen.

An ergonomic operator interface allows easy viewing and control of all machine functions. The Model SSD1-HS features an interlocked feed slide with integrated feeding protocols ensuring proper metering of media through the data sanitization process. Safety interlocks prevent operation when any safety guard or panel is not in place or waste disposal is required. An air filtration system consisting of a carbon pre-filter and HEPA filter is also included.

Security Engineered Machinery, SEM, is an innovative designer and manufacturer of data-destruction equipment located in Westboro Massachusetts. SEM supplies mission critical EOL equipment to the US Federal Government including the DoD and other intelligence agencies, as well as large multinational datacenter operators. SEM’s engineering staff is available to assist customers with special products and systems that will sanitize any media / material down to stakeholder required sanitization levels such as high volume central destruction systems used by nationally recognized commercial banks and healthcare organizations. Areas of expertise include the destruction of hard drives and other mixed media and heavy-duty, high-capacity shredders for recycling applications.

For more information, contact James T. Norris, Norris & Company, 264 Bodwell Street, Avon, MA 02322 Tel: (508) 510-5626, FAX: (508) 510-4180, E-mail: jim@norrisco.com

SEM 2 in 1 Crusher for Either HDD or SSD Media

at 4:04 pm by SEM

WESTBORO, MA — The SEM Model 0101, an NSA evaluated and listed destruction device for all computer hard drives regardless of their size, format or type, can now be factory configured for dual media destruction of either HDD or SSD media. The Model 0101 Hard Drive Crusher from Security Engineered Machinery has long been the choice of the Federal Government, US Military and Fortune 1000 companies for physical destruction of HDDs.

The SEM Model 0101 Crusher can now be purchased with a factory installed SSD Kit allowing the system to perform dual media destruction of either HDDs or SSDs. The SSD Kit consists of a specially designed hardened steel anvil with 292 piercing spikes, an SSD Wear Plate, and an SSD Press Plate. The large number of spikes on the anvil ensures each data bearing chip is damaged during the operating cycle. Solid State media that can be destroyed include memory sticks and circuit/controller boards found on hard drives, SSD drives, cell phones, tablets and similar devices up to 5.39” x 5.39” (137mm x 137mm).

The Model 0101 with integrated SSD Kit also includes a standard HDD anvil and can be easily exchanged in the field for the destruction of conventional hard drives and other rotational magnetic media.

Offices, hospitals, data centers, and other facilities can destroy confidential/sensitive information in a timely manner in accordance with government regulations and industry standards (HIPAA, FACTA, SOX, PCI DSS, etc.). The Model 0101 also satisfies National Security Agency requirements for physical destruction of rotational drives after they have been degaussed in an NSA-listed degausser.

The unit is compact, portable (22”H x 10”W x 19”D, 105 lbs.), quiet and virtually vibration free. It operates on standard 120V power, international voltages are also available. A safety interlock prevents the unit from functioning while the door is open and is the only crusher on the market that allows hard drives to be crushed with carriers still attached.

ISO 14001 Registered, Security Engineered Machinery, “SEM” is a global supplier of information security solutions and the largest producer of data-destruction equipment in the United States and operates a manufacturing and design facility adjacent to its headquarters in Westboro, Massachusetts. SEM’s full-service engineering department designs custom systems, such as high volume centralized security destruction systems with integrated waste briquetting and evacuation systems in use by the Federal Government and commercial entities. SEM’s areas of expertise include the design and production of destruction equipment for any type of data storage media from paper to hard drives to solid state, where data security and end of life measures are essential.

For more information, contact James T. Norris, Norris & Company, 264 Bodwell Street, Avon, MA 02322 Tel: (508) 510-5626, FAX: (508) 510-4180, E-mail: jim@norrisco.com

Security Engineered Machinery Introduces Enterprise Line of Data Destruction Devices

at 4:03 pm by SEM

data-center-ssd-destructionSecurity Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. (SEM), global leader in high security information end-of-life solutions, announced the introduction of a line of hard drive destroyers specifically engineered for enterprise drive destruction. The Enterprise Line, which includes rotational and solid state shredders and a disintegrator, is the first of its kind in the data destruction industry.

“We engineered the Enterprise Line to address the needs of our data center clients,” said Nicholas Cakounes, Executive Vice President of SEM. “The overwhelming client feedback we received expressed an imminent need for data destruction devices that could easily handle the larger, thicker, denser enterprise drives commonly found in data center environments.”

The Enterprise Line includes the compact, quiet Model 0315 hard drive shredder designed for office use, as well as the high-volume Model 0305 and Model 0304 shredders. The 0315 shreds up to 90 enterprise rotational hard disk drives (HDDs) and up to 120 enterprise solid state drives (SSDs) per hour at 1.5” final particle size, whereas the industrial grade 0305 and 0304 destroy up to 800 HDDs/1,200 SSDs and 1,400 HDDs/2,000 SSDs per hour, respectively. All three models are available in multiple configurations to accommodate a variety of user requirements: rotational hard disk drive (HDDs) only, solid state drive (SSD) only, and a combo version that destroys both HDDs and SSDs utilizing separate feed openings and cutting chambers. Final particle size for HDDs ranges from 1.5” to 0.75”, and final particle size for SSDs is 0.375”. All shredders in the new Enterprise Line are noted on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List (EPL) for HDD Destruction Devices as an approved solution for the “deformation of magnetic media hard drive platters” and are GDPR, NIST 800-88, SOX, FACTA, HIPAA, FISMA, NAID, and DoD compliant.

In addition to the three shredder models, SEM’s new Enterprise Line includes the Model 2SSD Disintegrator engineered to destroy SSDs to a nominal particle size of 2mm2. This newly redesigned machine employs an industrial grade, dual stage cutting system with specially enhanced cutting blades and sizing screens to provide maximum throughput in an office environment. Designed with a custom, steel-insulated sound enclosure for maximum sound control, the 2SSD also features an internal carbon-based pre-filter and HEPA air filtration system for operator safety as well as odor and dust control. Click for video.

“After pilot testing the devices with our existing Fortune 50 data center clients, we realized that the Enterprise Line provides the ideal solution to organizations looking to safeguard privacy and mitigate risk in the data center and beyond,” added Andrew Kelleher, President of SEM. “In addition to data centers, security-focused organizations such as the federal government, healthcare providers, and financial institutions are facing increased compliance requirements in parallel with more frequent use of enterprise drives into their data centers. The problem becomes what to do with the drives at end-of-life to maintain privacy and compliance — we are providing that solution.”

All devices in the Enterprise Line are specifically designed for enterprise drive destruction with increased torque, industrial grade construction, and more rugged cutting heads, enabling the system to cut through multiple steel plates, carriers, and other enterprise drive constructed components such as heat sinks and cooling tubes.

Security Engineered Machinery Turns 50

June 11, 2018 at 5:15 pm by SEM

Security Engineered Machinery Co. Inc. (SEM), global leader in high security end-of-life solutions, is celebrating 50 years of protecting corporate and national security interests through continuous innovations in the field of document and media sanitization technology.

Through a combination of in-house engineering and design as well as direct manufacturing in our Westboro, MA facility, SEM has consistently produced innovative data sanitization products and services for the intelligence organizations of the U.S. Federal Government, including our military, embassies and other government entities, in addition to a wide commercial market.

Founded in 1967 by Korean War veteran, Leonard Rosen, the company’s initial product was a paper disintegrator that allowed users to reduce large volumes of top-secret documents down to unreadable particles in a quick and secure manner. SEM’s disintegration was a vast improvement over incineration in speed, convenience, and environmental impact and was quickly accepted as the primary destruction method of the U.S. Government. In the mid 1970s SEM introduced a full line of office paper shredders to allow users to destroy documents closer to their source.

As record storage transitioned from paper to electronic media, the company continued to innovate to meet the new sanitization demands created by this new technology including computer tape, optical media, hard drives and solid-state media. Today, SEM holds several patents and is the global industry leader for multiple forms of sanitization and destruction including degaussing, crushing, shredding, and disintegration of any type of electronic media such as hard drives, optical media and solid state storage systems.

Founder and Chairman Len Rosen is still actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the company, but is quick to deflect credit for success to his management team and entire staff. “It seems like we just started this yesterday” said Rosen. “The growth has been amazing, but I’m most proud of how we continue to adapt as a company, not just to stay relevant, but to lead the industry with innovative solutions.”

Security Engineered Machinery Founder Honored as ASIS Life Member

May 31, 2018 at 5:08 pm by SEM
Leonard Rosen, SEM Founder and Chairman of the Board

Leonard Rosen has been a continuous member of ASIS since 1968

Security Engineered Machinery Co., Inc. is pleased to announce that Leonard Rosen, SEM founder and Chairman of the Board, has been honored with Life Member status by the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). ASIS grants Life Member status to individuals who have 50 years of continuous membership within the organization. Mr. Rosen founded SEM in 1967 and became a member of ASIS in 1968.

“Receiving ASIS Life Member status was unexpected, and quite an honor,” said Mr. Rosen. “To me, this speaks volumes about the quality and endurance of Security Engineered Machinery, which has enabled me to remain a member of ASIS over the past five decades. SEM has consistently adapted to changing technology while continuing to grow through the years, and I am so proud to be part of this incredible organization. We started by selling paper shredders to the federal government and now manufacture data destruction devices for every type of data and for every type of client. SEM continues to be a robust organization that has helped to protect national security for over 50 years.”

Throughout the years, SEM has supported ASIS through trade show participation as well as advertising in ASIS publications, including Security Management. In addition, SEM team members maintain membership and actively participate in regional chapters of ASIS.

“ASIS is truly the premier security association for security-centric government and commercial entities, and I am thrilled to gain Life Member status in such an upstanding organization,” added Mr. Rosen.

Mr. Rosen founded SEM in 1967 to fill a clear need for high security disintegration equipment for the federal government. He has possessed numerous positions with SEM over the years, including sales and marketing and operations. Prior to founding SEM, Mr. Rosen served in the U.S. Army and is a Korean War Veteran, after which he served in management positions related to sales and marketing roles with various domestic and international manufacturers. A graduate of Boston University, Mr. Rosen continues to be actively involved with SEM day-to-day operations and serves as Chairman of the Board.

“In addition to strategic vision that laid the foundation for SEM’s success, Len possesses exceptional leadership capabilities that are directly responsible for the longevity of SEM employees, whose service can often be counted in decades rather than years,” commented Andrew Kelleher, President of SEM. “He valued and encouraged work-life balance and positive company culture before anyone even knew what they were, and SEM continues to operate in that vein. It is rare to find someone with the vision and integrity of Len Rosen.”

SEM Donates to Local Food Bank

December 20, 2017 at 5:40 pm by Heidi White

SEM employees in the Westboro, MA corporate headquarters donated over 250 pounds of food to the Worcester County Food Bank. To incentivize employees to donate more food, SEM offered a gift card as a raffle prize for employees who donated. Employees received one ticket per 10 pounds of food donated. The best part? The winner decided to donate the gift card to the Worcester County Food Bank as well. We couldn’t be more proud of our employees and their dedication to supporting the local community.

Sustainability at SEM: Our Commitment Goes Beyond Just Words

February 3, 2016 at 3:00 pm by SEM

What does sustainability mean to you? 

Does it mean creating and maintaining a balance between the environment and economy? Or does it mean simply adding recycling and composting to your routine?

To SEM, sustainability means developing new processes and procedures to help conserve Earth’s natural resources and environment for future generations and leaving our home better off than we found it. 

We offer a plethora of products that are equipped with energy saving motors, special steel rotors, and other green solutions. For example, our disintegrators are designed with energy saving motors and precision balanced solid steel rotors that use less horsepower and electrical consumption. These small additions help cut down on up to 20% energy in comparison to other competitor models. For an even greener disintegrator option, we have our SEM VKE Green Disintegrator Kits that include everything needed for ultimate operator and environmental health and safety.

While paper is universally considered recyclable, it’s not as easy to do so as one would think. That’s why we offer a state-of-the-art briquetting system (included in the VKE Green Disintegrator Kit) that reduces paper waste by up to 90%. Yes, 90%! Since shredded paper waste is typically bulky and messy, recyclers won’t accept it; however, our briquetting systems compact paper waste into hockey puck-like briquettes that are accepted by most recyclers, and can even be used as a fuel source. You can find out more information on our briquettor systems here.

SEM’s commitment to the environment is implemented not only through continuous review and improvement of our processes, products, and services but through everyday methods as well. At our headquarters and secondary locations, all our cardboard and paper are recycled, our office lights are sensor-activated as to not waste unneeded electricity, recycled materials are used in many of our products, we use green cleaning products, and SEM restrooms are even stocked with Green Earth Certified hand soap.

We are also sure to communicate our policy to our customers, employees, and all persons who work on our behalf as well as anyone visiting our head office. Any vehicle who is parked at our loading dock must turn of their engine while there in order to cut down on pollution and emissions. You can find out more about our sustainability options in our blog, Data Destruction and the Environment.