By Richard Okolo
Ever wonder if when you delete something that it is actually gone? Most people think that just deleting a file on their computer is sufficient enough to be rid of the file. If this is what you thought, think again.
Deleting a file does not remove it from the hard drive and it still can be recovered. Individuals with advanced computer knowledge can retrieve the file(s) and extract information.
Many individuals and businesses are not taking the proper precautions to avoid file retrieval. Often computers donated to charities have large amounts of data still on them which can be accessed (even if deleted). Credit card numbers, banking and financial records, intellectual property, and pornography are just some of the items that have been recovered from donated PC’s.
One way to wipe files off of your computer is to overwrite them. This process “ensures” that the file is no longer accessible. However, there is no guarantee with this method. There are software applications which are able to do this for you.
Another way is to reformat your computer. This will clean your PC and allow for a fresh operating system to be in place. This may or may not work for all deleted files and should be used in conjunction with overwriting software (as mentioned previously).
Another method involves actually destroying the hard drive. This can be done by removing the hard drive form the computer and smashing it apart. Although the hard drive will need to be replaced (if the PC is to used again), the good thing is that information cannot be extracted.
Overwriting computers should be handled by an outside company to prevent conflict of interest (e.g. internal espionage). The best method is to completely destroy the computer and either purchase and/or lease new PC(s).
Copyright © 2011 The Nusqu Group. All Rights Reserved.
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