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Deleting Sensitive Information: Why Hitting Delete Isn't Enough
- Abstract
- This article intends to show that the deletion of files cannot be left to the delete key if those files are supposed to be disposed of securely. It proves how simply files can be recovered both under Windows and Linux if necessary security policy has not been extended to include the deletion of sensitive data. Popular techniques from each OS will be highlighted and procedures shown as to how to recover a deleted file. The article will then show how to securely delete a file so that current software tools cannot recover them. The article also touches on more advanced techniques beyond the means of most end users that can recover even the most securely deleted files, proving just how difficult it can be to remove data without leaving a trace of it behind.