A computer eraser is software that removes traces of a user’s activities to maintain privacy against snooping. It erases records with one click, including browsing history, media player lists, and cookies. While not a forensic tool, it is a handy utility for routine privacy.
A computer eraser, (also computer cleaner, or privacy cleaner), is software that removes traces of a user’s activities to help maintain privacy against random snoopers who may later use the machine. The software can erase a variety of records with just one click of a button, it’s fast, convenient, and in many cases free.
Many of the features built into operating systems and software that make it so convenient to use can also make it easy for a third party to “spy” on your computer session without your knowledge. Long after you’ve left your computer, someone can easily see what documents you’ve retrieved, images or movies you’ve viewed, and more. Your searches and browsing habits can also be ascertained with ease. A subsequent user could even access information entered into forms, sometimes unintentionally.
Most word processors and other office programs keep lists of recently viewed files so that a user can bring up something they’ve been working on recently without looking for it. A subsequent user can then easily see what was previously opened. This also applies to media players and graphics programs. The Run, Search and Find functions also keep track of previous entries, showing these parameters the next time the function is accessed.
Web browsers also reveal a lot about previous sessions, providing a computer eraser doesn’t help them forget. The URL window displaying the current website address is commonly augmented with a drop down box of previously visited sites and will automatically fill the address window based on the first few keystrokes entered into the field.
If set to do so, a browser can also remember usernames and passwords for registered websites, using a cookie to automatically fill in fields when the site is revisited. This can allow access to a personal account, perhaps highly sensitive bank or credit card information. Cookies generally reveal where you’ve been online. Almost every site you visit will generate multiple cookies, some of which will remain on your hard drive and can be viewed with any text editor to see the addresses of the websites that generated them.
Web browsers also reserve hard disk space to be used as a cache or a storage locker for images of frequently viewed websites. By keeping these web pages close at hand, your browser can recall the site more quickly on subsequent visits, which improves performance. A computer eraser will fix that too.
Browsers have user-configurable privacy settings, but they may not do a good job. For example, Microsoft Internet Explorer will clear your history, cache, cookies, and temporary files, but it won’t clear your index.dat files, which store links to this information and more. These files cannot be deleted within Windows because they are always in use and locked.
A computer eraser tracks all of these footprints and erases them, leaving your computer as if you’ve never been there. It will do a better job and be more convenient than the built-in tools, and it will also be configurable to optionally allow you to save certain files, such as specific useful cookies. Depending on the files that are deleted, the tool may require a restart so that it can delete the locked files. Computer erasers are available as freeware and shareware, and as portable programs that run from a USB flash drive so they don’t have to be installed. Read reviews and ratings to find a good program.
While a computer eraser does a good job of protecting against casual snooping, it is not a forensic tool and should not be relied upon to disguise criminal or illegal activity. Swap or paging files and other more obscure traces of activity could provide other sources of information for law enforcement or administrators. The server records will also map illegal activity on a specific network or computer, complete with timestamps. For routine privacy, however, a computer eraser is a handy utility.
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