Secure Delete | Erase and Wipe
These articles discuss the concept of secure deletion and why it is important.
What is Secure Deletion?
You might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Why should you erase your hard drive instead of just deleting the data? Isn’t that good enough? And, what’s with all those different terms?
To learn more about this, read our helpful article, Secure Delete versus Delete – What’s the difference?
Why to Secure Delete (erase) instead of delete
That might get you thinking that you should investigate this issue further. Here are some articles on the subject:
- Beware of Data Dumpster Divers “Some 30 percent of businesses in the UK leave data, some of it sensitive, on their PCs when they dispose of them…”
- Dead disks yield live information “Identity thieves are gleaning personal information from scrapped computers. Peter Warren reports on just how insecure our sensitive data really is”
- Deleted files can be recovered “Many computer users, including some who should know better, are unaware that deleted files can be recovered — undeleted — and can yield information which can be used against the person who deleted them. This information can be as common as a deleted email message or as important as sensitive business records or government transactions..”
- SSDs difficult to wipe securely, researchers find
Should YOU Secure Delete?
- Take the Test: Do you Need a File Shredder? (Mireth Technology). Secure Delete is not just for the paranoid. At least at disposal, most people should be erasing and not just deleting their data. Most people might include you. To find out if you need a secure deletion app, take this two minute test.
Technical Articles
There are some government as well as some de-facto standards for overwriting data. Here are some articles about them.
- Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory (Peter Gutmann). “To gain access to sensitive data, one avenue of attack is the recovery of supposedly erased data from magnetic media or random-access memory. This paper covers some of the methods available to recover erased data and presents schemes to make this recovery significantly more difficult.”
Browser History Erasers | Cache Cleaners
These articles discuss the application of secure deletion to the browsing data created when you surf the internet or use email.
- Internet Track FAQ (Mireth Technology). If you’re concerned about the files left on your computer when you use the internet or just want to understand the issue, this FAQ offers a straightforward explanation of what internet tracks are, why you might be concerned about them and what to do if you are.
- Take the Test: Do you Need an Internet Eraser? (Mireth Technology). Scare tactics are sometimes used to sell customers on the idea of internet erase software. Well, don’t let them scare you. While it’s clear that some people need to erase browsing data, you might not be one of them. To determine whether you need to erase your internet tracks, take this two minute test.
You don’t have to be a Secret Agent to be
serious about privacy on your Computer
Wipe data from your computer so it can’t be recovered.
Erase mission-critical Files or to wipe your entire Hard Drive before it’s too late.
Easy to use, even if you’ve got your hands full saving the Free World.
Available for Mac and Windows.