How to permanently and securely remove sensitive information
We all have sensitive data on our devices, be it on our computer, smartphone or external hard drive. But what happens to this data when we delete it? We have taken a closer look at the question of how to delete data sustainably and securely. Simply emptying the recycle bin does not automatically mean that the data is gone forever.
Even if deleting data is supposedly quick and easy, “deleted” does not always mean that the deleted data has actually disappeared permanently. However, this is particularly important if you want to sell or dispose of your old devices, as it should be ensured that no sensitive data can be found on the devices.
But why is normal deletion sometimes not enough? If you simply delete data, it is not actually removed from the storage medium. Instead, they are simply marked as “deleted” and can theoretically be restored. Even if you empty the recycle bin or format the hard disk, data can still be recovered as long as it is not overwritten.
This means that data must be deleted “correctly”. There are various methods for this. One option is to overwrite the data with random data. The existing data is overwritten several times with random data so that it can no longer be restored. Another method is to physically destroy the storage medium, whereby the device itself can of course no longer be used. There are also special software tools that specialize in securely deleting data. These tools offer various methods and algorithms to ensure that the data is really removed.
To make sure that your data is really securely deleted, here are a few tips to conclude:
- Use special data deletion tools to securely remove the data.
- Overwrite the data several times to ensure that it is permanently deleted.
- Check whether the storage medium is actually empty before you continue to use it or dispose of it.
- If you are unsure, play it safe and physically destroy the storage medium.