The need for reliable destruction of information on a hard drive arises not only from spies or hackers. Even a completely respectable user may want to permanently delete confidential data from a computer - for example, when it is sold.
Instructions
Step 1
Working on a computer, we are accustomed to the fact that files are deleted very simply - just select them and press the "Del" key or select the appropriate item in the menu. Then you can empty the "trash". Is the file permanently deleted? No - only the file entry in the file table has been deleted. Imagine a thick reference book from which the table of contents pages have been ripped out - the situation is very similar. There is no table of contents, but the pages themselves have survived and are very easy to read.
Step 2
Even a formatted disc contains a fair amount of original information, especially if "quick" formatting was used. In order to really delete data from a disk, you need to use more sophisticated methods. They can be divided into three categories.
Step 3
First of all, it is the physical destruction of the disk. If you break a disc with a hammer or throw it into a container with sulfuric acid, it will be impossible to recover the information. It is clear that such radical methods are suitable only in exceptional cases. Another option is associated with the use of demagnetizing devices, this method is used in commercial structures and government agencies in some countries.
Step 4
The most common is the software method of destroying information. To destroy a file, a special program writes some information over it, usually a pseudo-random alternation of numbers. But even in this case, the original file can still be read, so to permanently delete it, you need to repeat the overwrite cycle five to seven times.
Step 5
One of the best programs for general home use is the free File Shredder utility. It allows you to permanently delete both individual files and folders, and entire disk data. The corresponding command is embedded in the context menu, which is very convenient.
Step 6
The Ccleaner program is convenient in that it destroys not only the selected data, but also various garbage that accumulates in the system and can contain confidential information. It works quite reliably and has a Russian interface.
Step 7
Acronis Disk Director Suite. The program is used to work with hard disk partitions, but it also has the function of destroying information. Cannot work with individual files, can destroy data only on the selected partition. This program is convenient to use when reinstalling the OS: select the function of formatting the disk with data destruction, and then install the operating system.
Step 8
Considering that the destruction of information is time-consuming and not always reliable, recently a different method of protecting information, cryptographic, has been increasingly used. All information on the disk is encrypted using a special algorithm, so even theft of a computer does not pose a threat - it turns out to be impossible to decrypt information without knowing the key.
