What's the difference between cross-cut and micro-cut shredders?

Cross-cut shredders slice paper into small confetti-like pieces (typically P-3 to P-4 security), while micro-cut shredders reduce paper to far smaller particles (P-4 to P-5), making reconstruction effectively impossible. Micro-cut models like the Aurora AU1210MA are the better choice for sensitive financial or medical documents; cross-cut is generally fine for routine household mail.