Paper shredders are a key component of document security — but as recent events show, it’s becoming easier to put shredded docs together again.

That’s what’s happening right now in the trial of R. Allen Stanford, who’s accused of running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. Federal prosecutors recently told a judge they’re reassembling evidence shredded by the Stanford Financial Group, Bloomberg.com reports.

The prosecutors said it’ll take about two months to put together three bags’ worth of shredded papers. How exactly are they doing it?

With sophisticated scanning technology. Technicians will feed every available shred into a scanner, and software will analyze the text based on size, color, indentation and font, guessing which pieces belong next to each other.

The process is complex, but the technology could become more readily available. A company based in Tel Aviv sells a product called the Unshredder, which it claims to be the world’s first commercial document reconstruction tool. With subscriptions starting at $90/month, the application allows anyone with a computer and scanner to piece shredded documents together.

What’s the risk that businesses will destroy sensitive information, only to have it salvaged by criminals? That depends on how the docs are shredded.

The long strips created by the least expensive shredders are the easiest to analyze. Cross-cut shredders that turn paper into little pieces of confetti cost more but are more secure. Then there are the really heavy duty models that pulverize documents into dust (for example, the machines the Department of Defense uses for top secret files).

Security is also increased by properly disposing of the shreds. Many companies outsource the process to service providers, where the paper is shredded and then recycled or otherwise securely destroyed.

Tags: reconstructing shredded documents, Security, shredding