Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Destruction Services – NAID AAA Certified | Shred Instead
Shred Instead (Shred-Eco, LLC) is a NAID AAA Certified and GSA Schedule contractor #GS-03F-0023V providing fully compliant two-step CUI destruction services throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
What Is Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)?
CUI is unclassified information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls pursuant to Executive Order 13556 and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) CUI Registry. Common examples include personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), export-controlled data, law enforcement sensitive material, and DoD-sensitive technical data.
Approved Destruction Method for CUI
According to NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 and DoD Manual 5220.22-M (NISPOM), simple cross-cut shredding alone is NOT sufficient for most CUI categories. The required method is two-step destruction:
- Shred to 1/4" (6 mm) or smaller particles
- Further reduce shredded material to pulp (or incinerate)
Shred Instead performs this exact two-step process in our secure, NAID AAA Certified plant in Mt. Airy, Maryland for every CUI job.
Our CUI-Compliant Process
- Locked bins placed at your facility (or on-site shredding available)
- Background-checked, uniformed employees
- GPS-tracked vehicles with 24/7 camera surveillance
- Material transported to our NAID AAA Certified plant in Mt. Airy, MD
- Shredded to ≤ 6 mm particles
- Shredded particles sent directly to pulping mill under chain-of-custody
- Certificate of Destruction issued referencing NIST 800-88 and your PO/contract number
Compliance Standards We Meet
- NIST SP 800-171 & 800-88
- DFARS 252.204-7012
- CMMC Level 2+ ready
- ITAR / EAR export-controlled data
- HIPAA / HITECH (PHI)
- NAID AAA Certified for plant-based and mobile operations
- GSA Schedule Contract #GS-03F-0023V
Hard Drive & Electronic Media Destruction
We also destroy CUI on hard drives, SSDs, flash media, and tapes to NIST 800-88 Purge/Clear/Destroy standards using NSA-listed degaussers and NSA-approved shredders (final particle size 1 mm × 5 mm or smaller).