Destroying Your Files Properly

Sending your files to the 'trash' doesn’t actually get rid of them. Most of the time, the file is simply moved from one place to another and can be easily retrieved with simple forensic software. If you want to truly dispose of your files, we recommend 'shredding' them.

Instead of just moving the file and pretending it no longer exists, shredding overrides the file with lots of other data. The file is replaced with random nonsense, that nonsense is itself overridden and the process repeats. If someone attempts to recover the file, they’ll get nothing meaningful.

If you’re a Windows user a good place to start is Eraser. This easy-to-use software will significantly improve your personal security. If you want to shred a file, right-click it and select 'erase' rather than 'delete'. It’s actually simpler than standard Windows deleting because it avoids having to deal with the Recycle Bin. You can also customize your erasure methods and set up automatic, timed erasing.

Macs used to have a handy shredding function built in but no longer. Most people software like Clean My Mac 3 is the easiest bet.