Computer wiping permanently deletes sensitive files and information from a hard drive, erasing all traces of them. Standard file and folder deletes do not directly delete files or folders, and reformatting a hard drive does not erase all information. Users should invest in computer cleanups before disposing of their devices to avoid personal information theft. Software exists to make wiping easy, and consumers should run it multiple times for added security.
Computer wiping is the permanent deletion of sensitive files or information on a computer’s hard drive or disk. It does what simple deleting of files, emptying the recycle bin, formatting the hard drive, and repartitioning the hard drive doesn’t: it erases all traces of your files and folders so they are not accessible to third parties. All the above mentioned methods can be countered and data can be recovered even after their actions are taken.
The key thing to understand when trying to understand how computer wipe works is that standard file and folder deletes do not directly delete files or folders. Pressing a Delete key or emptying a trash simply clears the path to the file or folder. The file or folder still remains on a computer, waiting to be accessed via non-traditional paths. Computers have a resource called File Allocation Table (FAT) which makes it possible to access supposedly deleted files and folders even after the deletions have been performed. The FAT stores all the information needed to recover files or folders. Overwriting the FAT is the only way to truly remove access to them.
It is often thought that reformatting a hard drive erases all information on a drive. However, to truly erase disk information, users should consider wiping the hard drive, reformatting the disk, and then writing zeros all over the disk. Computer wiping is standard practice in government agencies that require information on computers to be kept confidential or private, although their methods may be more cautious. It is not uncommon for government agencies to use magnets to demagnetize a disk and render it unusable before physically destroying it.
Users are advised to invest in some computer cleanups before throwing away, giving away or selling their old computers. Anyone who gets a computer that hasn’t had a hard drive erase may be able to recover the data on it. People who use computers to store their financial information, for example, run the risk of having their personal information stolen if they don’t submit to wiping their devices.
The software exists to make wiping your computer easy for the average user who can’t manually wipe the data on their drives. This software can be purchased at retail stores or downloaded from the Internet for a fee. When using these utilities, consumers should consider running the software multiple times so that hard drives are rewritten more than once. This will make it extremely difficult for third parties to access old information.
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