Comments on: Shredded confidential police documents discovered in Macy's parade confetti http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 11:40:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1592313 oasisob1 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1592313 Or turn them into pizza boxes, like this small, community-minded organization does: http://www.nsa.gov/about/faqs/community.shtml#community1 Or turn them into pizza boxes, like this small, community-minded organization does:

http://www.nsa.gov/about/faqs/community.shtml#community1

]]> By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591863 Michael Smith Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591863 Yeah that happened in a Melbourne police station. They wrote some info on scrap paper for a member of the public and it had driver license information on the back. Yeah that happened in a Melbourne police station. They wrote some info on scrap paper for a member of the public and it had driver license information on the back.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591856 Antinous / Moderator Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591856 There was always some idiot in the hospital who thought that we should cut up patient lab printouts and use them for scratch paper. There was always some idiot in the hospital who thought that we should cut up patient lab printouts and use them for scratch paper.

]]> By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591759 Michael Smith Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591759 Until recently I worked in a building where a lot of police worked. Their recycled paper was securely treated but the cleaners were in the habit of taking a sheet from the recycling and putting it in the bottom of rubbish bins to make them easier to keep clean. One of those sheets was found in the rubbish with sensitive information on it. Until recently I worked in a building where a lot of police worked. Their recycled paper was securely treated but the cleaners were in the habit of taking a sheet from the recycling and putting it in the bottom of rubbish bins to make them easier to keep clean. One of those sheets was found in the rubbish with sensitive information on it.

]]> By: ohbejoyful http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591758 ohbejoyful Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591758 Another "species"? Try another kingdom!  Seriously - unless you're currently walking about in your altogether, you are covered in the corpses and off-products of other critters, not to mention the tenjillion species of flora and fauna living in your gut. Another “species”? Try another kingdom! 

Seriously – unless you’re currently walking about in your altogether, you are covered in the corpses and off-products of other critters, not to mention the tenjillion species of flora and fauna living in your gut.

]]> By: ohbejoyful http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591757 ohbejoyful Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591757  "I've got yer FOIA right here!"  ”I’ve got yer FOIA right here!”

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591607 Boundegar Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591607 So, if you collected every bit of the confetti, digitized it, and ran the output through a proprietary and probably classified algorithm, the information could be reconstructed?  That's a far cry from "phone numbers, addresses, more Social Security numbers, license plate numbers and then we find all these incident reports from police."  I think the original article is very very overblown. So, if you collected every bit of the confetti, digitized it, and ran the output through a proprietary and probably classified algorithm, the information could be reconstructed?  That’s a far cry from “phone numbers, addresses, more Social Security numbers, license plate numbers and then we find all these incident reports from police.”  I think the original article is very very overblown.

]]> By: peterblue11 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591512 peterblue11 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591512 hmm made me think of the nature of confetti. let's shower ourselves in the sliced up, dry corpses of another species in full celebration. we are a funny bunch. hmm made me think of the nature of confetti. let’s shower ourselves in the sliced up, dry corpses of another species in full celebration.

we are a funny bunch.

]]> By: bzishi http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591495 bzishi Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591495 I think the biggest lesson from the DARPA challenge was to burn confidential documents. It is the only way to ensure that documents aren't reconstructed. I think the biggest lesson from the DARPA challenge was to burn confidential documents. It is the only way to ensure that documents aren’t reconstructed.

]]> By: bzishi http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591491 bzishi Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591491 I'm of the opinion that high security documents should be shredded by a high quality shredder (~1 mm by 5 mm) and then burned. It isn't particularly expensive compared to the cost of revealing confidential information that could impact the privacy of workers and the public. Or worse, it could risk the lives of undercover officers or informants. I’m of the opinion that high security documents should be shredded by a high quality shredder (~1 mm by 5 mm) and then burned. It isn’t particularly expensive compared to the cost of revealing confidential information that could impact the privacy of workers and the public. Or worse, it could risk the lives of undercover officers or informants.

]]> By: Tarliman http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591474 Tarliman Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591474 This is one reason why the output from my paper shredder is used as garden mulch. This is one reason why the output from my paper shredder is used as garden mulch.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591471 oasisob1 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591471 The DARPA challenge paper was crosscut. http://chenlab.ece.cornell.edu/people/Andy/publications/ICIP_2012_Deshredding_GallagherDeever.pdf  http://www.whitakerbrothers.com/blog/shredder-challenge/#.ULORIuOe9YU Here's an interesting paper not related to the DARPA challenge: https://www.ads.tuwien.ac.at/publications/bib/pdf/schauer_10.pdf TL:DR Version: We can do this with single sheets down to 15x15 cut. Anything smaller just requires more computing power and possibly some human interaction to improve error checking. It would be interesting to try this with multiple sheets. The DARPA challenge paper was crosscut.

http://chenlab.ece.cornell.edu/people/Andy/publications/ICIP_2012_Deshredding_GallagherDeever.pdf 
http://www.whitakerbrothers.com/blog/shredder-challenge/#.ULORIuOe9YU
Here’s an interesting paper not related to the DARPA challenge:
https://www.ads.tuwien.ac.at/publications/bib/pdf/schauer_10.pdf
TL:DR Version: We can do this with single sheets down to 15×15 cut. Anything smaller just requires more computing power and possibly some human interaction to improve error checking. It would be interesting to try this with multiple sheets.

]]> By: Andrew Singleton http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591470 Andrew Singleton Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591470 Oh now they're just taunting us; 'You wanted to see all our dox. Here have 'em *throws confetti* HAPPY?!' Oh now they’re just taunting us; ‘You wanted to see all our dox. Here have ‘em *throws confetti* HAPPY?!’

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591460 ChicagoD Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591460 Did you read the article? Cross-cut is still probably just fine. Did you read the article? Cross-cut is still probably just fine.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591445 oasisob1 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591445 Not good enough: http://gizmodo.com/5865025/darpas-almost+impossible-challenge-to-reconstruct-shredded-documents-solved Not good enough:
http://gizmodo.com/5865025/darpas-almost+impossible-challenge-to-reconstruct-shredded-documents-solved

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591438 ChicagoD Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591438 Sheesh. Get a cross-cut shredder you cheap bastards. Sheesh. Get a cross-cut shredder you cheap bastards.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591437 oasisob1 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591437 Seems like the police need to get in touch with whoever they pay to handle their document destruction and have a little discussion about how they conduct their business. I imagine most companies recycle their shred in some manner. Here are some examples from Nassau County: What Happens to the End Result? Is Storage Quarters a “Green” Company? You bet we are! We destroy and then conquer by helping to protect our ecology. We strongly adhere to environmentally-sound and ethical paper shredding; meaning, that once your data is ground up the cardboard and paper residue is baled and stored in our secure accommodations. After the information is completely destroyed, baled data is then submitted to the recycling paper mills around the area. --- We Recycle: 100% of the paper we shred gets recycled! When you choose Time Shred Services for your document destruction and paper shredding needs, you are not only getting a superior document shredding service, but you will be partnering with a company whose philosophy it is to value and protect the environment now and in the future. We help protect your privacy while at the same time creating a reusable resource that will save trees and will help to protect our environment. --- Once my documents are shredded, what happens to them? Our equipment and machinery bale the paper into large bundles of one ton, which then get sent to paper mills for recycling. This process ensures that your documents or gone forever. It also has a positive effect on the environment and helps the worldwide conservation effort. Seems like the police need to get in touch with whoever they pay to handle their document destruction and have a little discussion about how they conduct their business.
I imagine most companies recycle their shred in some manner. Here are some examples from Nassau County:

What Happens to the End Result? Is Storage Quarters a “Green” Company?

You bet we are! We destroy and then conquer by helping to protect our ecology. We strongly adhere to environmentally-sound and ethical paper shredding; meaning, that once your data is ground up the cardboard and paper residue is baled and stored in our secure accommodations. After the information is completely destroyed, baled data is then submitted to the recycling paper mills around the area.
—
We Recycle: 100% of the paper we shred gets recycled!

When you choose Time Shred Services for your document destruction and paper shredding needs, you are not only getting a superior document shredding service, but you will be partnering with a company whose philosophy it is to value and protect the environment now and in the future. We help protect your privacy while at the same time creating a reusable resource that will save trees and will help to protect our environment.
—
Once my documents are shredded, what happens to them?

Our equipment and machinery bale the paper into large bundles of one ton, which then get sent to paper mills for recycling. This process ensures that your documents or gone forever. It also has a positive effect on the environment and helps the worldwide conservation effort.

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591430 Nathan Hornby Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591430 Heh, I had a similar reaction! Shame to see sensitive material being exposed, but at least they're not clearing forests to produce confetti (the thought of which makes me want to cry). Heh, I had a similar reaction!

Shame to see sensitive material being exposed, but at least they’re not clearing forests to produce confetti (the thought of which makes me want to cry).

]]> By: remainzz http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/shredded-confidential-police-d.html#comment-1591428 remainzz Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=196087#comment-1591428 Its nice to see a positive story about the police once in a while! They could have just thrown it all away Its nice to see a positive story about the police once in a while!
They could have just thrown it all away

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