Destroying Data Permanently

In an age where most people are spending millions in saving and salvaging their data, there are some who have a tough time destroying their data. Your data may contain very confidential information. So, once you decide to throw your computer or dispose off your hard disk, are you going to throw it away without deleting this information permanently? It is very easy for malicious users to misuse data. Digital data, once created can be very difficult to destroy. What options do you have? What are the common myths about data destruction? We will explore the answers to these questions in this article.

Common Myths about Data Destruction

People tend to think that when they delete a file using the usual methods, the data gets deleted forever. However, this is far from the truth. While creating data may appear to be a Herculean task, deleting your data permanently is no child’s play either. It is important for users to maintain the confidentiality of their valuable data, even when they do not need the data any longer. Therefore, it is important to understand the misconceptions related to data destruction, what works, and what does not.

• Reformatting the Hard Disk

Many people think that reformatting the hard disk will help delete the files permanently. However, when you perform a disk reformat, the data simply gets hidden from you. The reformatting procedure hides the files from the operating system and the user is tricked into thinking that the data was permanently deleted.

• Formatting and Partitioning the Hard Disk

Formatting and partitioning the hard disk does not permanently delete your data either. When you format the hard disk, the data on the hard disk gets reorganised. When the data gets reorganised, it looks like free space on the hard disk. However, the data can still be easily accessed.

• Emptying Your Recycle Bin

Most people think that if they have emptied their recycle bin, they have deleted their files permanently. In fact, many people think that they have encountered a data loss tragedy by accidentally deleting the files from the recycle bin. However, these files do not actually get deleted. These deleted files simply add up to the free space on your disk. The data deleted by you will remain intact on the disk until you overwrite on this free space. However, overwriting will occur only when the remaining unused areas on the hard disk are filled up.

How to Destroy Data Permanently

Have you ever lost sleep over this question when you are desperately trying to get rid of their data? We have provided you some options in our following section, which can prove to be very helpful in destroying your data permanently.

• Overwriting

You can destroy your data permanently by overwriting new data on your existing data. When you do this, the old data gets deleted. Even the most advanced data recovery systems will not be able to access your data once it has been overwritten several times. So, what is the ideal number of times a person should overwrite their data?

While there is no “ideal” number, experts believe that approximately overwriting on your existing data 7 to 11 times should serve the purpose. Before you start worrying about the time and energy you will waste if you have to sit and overwrite on your data, we have good news for you. You can easily overwrite on your existing data without wasting your time and effort by using secure deletion software that is especially designed for this purpose.

The software allows you destroy your data by running a special application that writes patterns of senseless data on the sectors of the hard disk. The procedure of overwriting senseless data is repeated several times by this software till it achieves its goal. At the end of the procedure, your data will be removed from the hard drive permanently.

• Physically Damaging the Hard Disk

If you do not want to try the software, you can try to physically destroy the hard disk. Now, when we talk about physical destruction of the hard disk, we mean that you will really have to destroy it well. It is very easy to access data even from physically damaged hard disks. Therefore, you will have to ensure that the hard disk is damaged beyond repair so that no one can access the data. Punching a hole in the hard disk is a sure way to destroy the data. You can also try pouring acid on the surface of the hard disk.

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