A program for overwriting deleted files. Files Terminator Free - permanently delete data from your computer

To be sure that no one will use your confidential data after you have erased it, expert advice and selected special programs.

User information is becoming increasingly valuable, which means it is required reliable protection from her theft. Important confidential documents, account information and credit cards- all this can become easy prey for inquisitive attackers. By deleting documents and other important secret data from the Recycle Bin or immediately bypassing it, many users think that they have destroyed them irrevocably and nothing threatens their security.

However, in reality this is not always the case. Any person well versed in computers, if desired, can easily restore information deleted in this way. In addition, in the operating system and on the hard drive in different shapes A lot of service data is saved, including information about the user’s actions, such as visiting websites, copying and transferring files, what programs he worked with, and even when and what flash drives he connected.

If you want to destroy paper documents and optical disks You can use special devices known as shredders and erase fingerprints, but with traces left in a PC, everything is not so simple and obvious. For example, even when creating an encrypted file, a temporary, unprotected copy of it can be generated, which an attacker could theoretically later restore. In addition, many programs such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, leave service information in files, including information about previous versions, where confidential data that is subsequently erased by the user can be stored.

We'll tell you about the main ways to remove personal information from the system and when working in different programs and subsequent cleaning free space on the disk to eliminate chances of recovery deleted files. In addition, you will learn about the features of cleaning solid-state drives.

Destroying temporary files

Temporary files that are created can tell you quite a lot about the user. various applications, such as MS Office, and, of course, browsers. To destroy temporary files, it is best to use special utilities, which do their work automatically.

CCleaner. Free Windows cleaning utility. Among other functions, it allows you to clear free space on the HDD from previously deleted files and safely erase information. To do this, go to the “Service | Erasing disks." Specify what exactly you want to remove, as well as the method (for example, “NSA (7 passes)”), and select the drive. To destroy data, CCleaner provides the user with a choice of algorithm: single overwrite, 3, 7, or 35 cycles.

Mars WinCleaner- this is no longer a new, but very reliable utility for deleting temporary files - the result of the work of many programs. Unfortunately, this program does not have a function for completely erasing information, but it can be configured to automatically clean the system of temporary files on a schedule, as well as when the computer is turned on or off.

Kaspersky Internet Security Thanks to its “Remove Activity Traces” function, it allows you to remove most of the temporary files that can tell about your work with your PC. You can find this option in the “Tools” section.

Clearing data in programs and documents

A document you've edited many times often carries part of the story, and when using standard or special means its past versions can be partially restored.

For example, files with PSD extension Photoshop photo editors contain a history of changes, which can be used both for good - to edit the image, and to identify some details that the user would like to hide. To avoid this, you should copy the completed version of the document into a new one, clean file and forward it to the recipient. This way you will get rid of the change history. You can check this by comparing the sizes of the new file and the old one that was edited.

In addition, when using old Microsoft versions Office, it may be useful to install a plugin from the manufacturer - Remove Hidden Data, which allows you to remove from Microsoft documents Office 2003/XP various service information. In the 2007 version, to do this, click on the round button with the program logo and select “Prepare | Document Inspector”, then in the window that appears, mark the necessary menu items with checkboxes and click on the “Check” button. After scanning, the wizard will prompt you to delete the found data. In Office 2010, this feature can be found in the File | Details | Troubleshooting | Document Inspector."

Browser cleaning

For automatic or manual, one-time removal personal information from Internet browsers, you should change their settings.

Mozilla Firefox . To remove traces in this application, you need to go to “Tools | Settings" and on the "Privacy" tab, check the "Clear history when closing Firefox" checkbox or configure the program in a way convenient for you, for example, so that the browser does not initially save information.

Internet Explorer . You can use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+Shift+Del” or the menu item “Tools | Delete browsing history."

Opera. Click on the "Opera" button and go to "Settings | Delete personal data." In this window, you can use the drop-down list to specify in detail what data should be deleted.

Apple Safari . Click on the gear button and select “Reset Safari” from the menu that opens.

Google Chrome . Go to settings by clicking on the right top corner button with three lines, or just enter in address bar chrome://chrome/settings and on the settings page that opens, click on “Show additional settings", and then click the "Clear history" button.

Automatic and manual system cleaning

If you don't want to install additional programs, you can use Windows registry, browser settings and local OS security policies.

Swap file. Elements of processed confidential information may remain in this storage. For him automatic cleaning you need to do the following: Press the key combination “Win+R” and in the line that appears, enter the command “secpol.msc” (without quotes). Click OK. In the window that opens, go to “ Local policies| Security Settings" and on the right side of the window select "Shut down: clear the page file" virtual memory" Double click on it. In the settings window, set the mode to “Enable” and click the “Apply” button. Now, when you turn off your PC, the page file will be automatically cleared.

Information stored on the Internet

It's not just your computer that may contain user data - social networks even after you delete previously downloaded photos or your pages, they remain in storage and can be restored at the request of intelligence services. All records about the IP addresses, passwords, correspondence, etc., used by you when connecting, are also stored for a long time.

Therefore, try not to transfer important and unencrypted information to cloud storage: they can be hacked or be under constant surveillance by various intelligence services and security services of a competing company. Even when deleting data from the cloud, you have no guarantee that copies of it will not remain in storage and will not be transferred to outsiders or captured by attackers.

Clearing free disk space

At standard deletion the file is not completely destroyed - operating system only erases the address of his location. The data itself can be stored on the HDD quite long time until they are overwritten by other information. And even after rewriting, such information can be partially restored. To ensure the destruction of data, we recommend that you use publicly available programs that ensure irreversible deletion of information.

eraser. This is the most popular free utility, which allows you to truly reliably destroy documents, including the Guttmann method, in which the file is overwritten 35 times with random data. Eraser also offers the function of clearing free space on the HDD to completely destroy erased information.

Kremlin. This is a real data harvester, and file destruction is only part of its functionality. Also, with its help, you can encrypt information and delete traces of computer work. Among other things, Kremlin offers useful function cleaning RAM where important information may be stored.

Acronis True Image Home 2013. In addition to the basic functions of backing up data, the application will help you irreversibly delete specific files and folders, as well as clean up already empty space on disk. In this case, you can choose a data destruction algorithm.

Flash drive tracking

The operating system can even remember information about previously connected flash drives. Using the USBDview program, you can see when and which flash drive was connected, and also erase this information. You can also delete such information in the Registry Editor in the following branches:

"HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\USBST OR"

"HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\U SBSTOR."

Wiping SSD

A technique for repeatedly rewriting data to delete it without a trace for solid state drives destructive due to their limited resource. In addition, studies have shown that not a single software method of deleting information guarantees its complete destruction - from 4 to 91% of “safely” erased files can be restored. Therefore the only one reliable way Permanently deleting data from an SSD means physically destroying the media.

Hardware erasers

If your HDD or flash drive contains important information that needs to be destroyed quickly and irreversibly, one way is to use hardware.

For internal hard drives

Now there are devices on the market that allow you to reliably and short time destroy all information stored on the “protected” hard drive. There is even a function for extreme cases - physical damage to the HDD. One of such devices is the domestic development 2S-994 “Priboy”. The cost of such a device is almost equal to the average PC performance and is about 16,000 rubles.

For portable disks and flash drives

In the age of mobility, transporting confidential information on portable drives can be safe if you take special care in advance. For example, there are special media with the ability to remotely monitor their position, block recorded and encrypted information upon command, and even physically destroy the drive. The Security Guardian flash drive, developed by ExactTrak Ltd., has similar functions. It can also automatically self-destruct, block or delete information if the drive is removed from the specified perimeter. Servicing such a flash drive will cost approximately 1,300 rubles per month, while the cost of the 32 GB drive itself is 20,000 rubles, including the first year of security service.

Storing confidential data on a hard drive and removable media is usually always considered in the context of the general information security. This is a fairly voluminous topic, covering many different aspects of which not the least is reliable removal files.

There may be several reasons for this - transferring a computer, disk or flash drive for temporary use to another person, handing over a computer or media for repair, as well as selling them. Simple data deletion using the operating system or even full formatting the media does not provide permanent deletion of information.

In most cases, deleted data can be recovered using data that can be easily found on the Internet. One hundred percent guaranteed destruction of data can only be achieved by demagnetizing the media or its complete physical destruction. These are the measures that are taken in relation to data stored under the heading “Top Secret”. To destroy data of a lesser degree of secrecy, utilities are used that use algorithms for repeated rewriting of the entire media or a specific area of ​​it.

Currently, there are many programs for safe removal data. There are just as many opinions regarding the effectiveness of this or that utility. In reality, claims that one shredder program deletes data better than another is nothing more than a myth. It is not the program itself that deletes information, but the rewriting algorithm built into it, and these algorithms are the same in all of these utilities; it’s just that one program may have a wider range of algorithms than another. According to experts, Peter Gutman's algorithm, which uses 35 rewrite cycles, is considered the most effective. Here is a small list of utilities that will help you to ensure that your personal information is deleted.

CCleaner

This one is the most popular free cleaner can be used not only to remove file garbage and fix errors in system registry, but also for guaranteed hard formatting disks and removable media, as well as stripping free disk space. In this case, four deletion methods are available: simple overwriting in one pass, DOD 5220.22-M (three cycles), TSA (7 cycles) and the Peter Gutman method already known to us.

Eraser program

Simple and free program for secure data deletion. With its help, you can delete not only individual folders, but also entire partitions, as well as clear free disk space. Despite the lack of Russian language, using the program is very simple. Deleting files and folders is done by simply dragging them onto the Eraser workspace; in addition, objects can be deleted from the Explorer context menu, where the program is built in during installation. There are 14 deletion algorithms to choose from, including the most reliable - Peter Gutman's algorithm.

File Shredder

Another free utility, simple and convenient. Deleting data from and also from removable media is supported. Adding files to the list to be deleted is done through the main menu, or by directly dragging onto working window programs. File Shredder can also be used to wipe free disk space. It is also possible to delete via context menu Conductor. Unlike Eraser, File Shredder has only five built-in deletion methods.

Secure File Vault Program

Multifunctional program for protecting confidential information. Intended this application mainly for data encryption, but can also be used to permanently delete files and folders. Secure File Vault has a built-in File Shredder utility for this purpose. When deleting data, you can choose a security level from 10 to 110. Secure File Vault is a commercial program, and quite expensive at that - it costs $49.95.

Download Secure File Vault: http://www.securefilevault.com/

Freeraser

Free, simple and convenient program for removing any user files with Russian language support. There are three main removal modes available in Freeraser - fast, reliable and uncompromising. Fast corresponds to one rewrite cycle, reliable to three, and uncompromising to 35 consecutive passes. and folders are made by dragging them onto a special basket from standard window"Review". The utility supports configuration appearance baskets, autostart, work from the system tray. Russian language available.

Download Freeraser: http://www.freeraser.com/home/82-freeraser.html

Conclusion

All of these five programs, on the whole, do their job very well. If you want to be sure that your personal files cannot be recovered, then use any of these programs. Of course, this list is far from complete; many utilities for secure data deletion are included in other programs, as is the case with Secure File Vault. Built-in stripping tools include AusLogics BoostSpeed, Acronis True Image, TuneUp Utilities, Glary Utilities and many other applications for working with the file system.

Among the five programs described above, we decided to give Eraser first place. This program undoubtedly deserves to be called a professional tool for effectively destroying confidential data.

The rewriting methods used by the program are based on the most well-known standards for removing magnetic traces from hard drives and removable media.

A wide range of tools, flexible settings, the use of additional “deceptive” technologies, as well as a friendly user interface make this program one of the most convenient and popular tools for securely deleting files.

Today, under my “software microscope” I had the temerity to come across a free program for permanently deleting files and folders called Alternate File Shredder.

Does it spray various types well and reliably? computer files to atoms, without the possibility of their recovery by any means, methods and special programs, as the manufacturers claim? Let's check it out.

How to completely and securely delete a file or folder

Several times on the pages of this site I have described to you special recovery programs accidentally deleted files. With their help it was possible to return data even after formatting the disk.

But what if the task is to completely delete a file or folder, without a single chance of recovery (by bad uncles and evil aunts)... so that no Recuva, Hetman Partition Recovery or PhotoDOCTOR was unable to resurrect them? Are there really no such programs?

We launch the program and specify files or folders for secure deletion...

The "number of iterations" is the number of passes. On SSD drives, I do not recommend abusing this figure (one pass is enough).

Click on the “Destroy files” button and confirm complete deletion...

(Oops, screenshot with deleting another file)

...let's go submit documents to any spy organization in the world...

We check the reliability of data deletion...

...the Recuva program didn’t find anything even similar to my deleted file, but it did find a huge pile of files that were deleted a couple of years ago.

I didn’t check the data with other resuscitators - I’m sure the result will be the same.

Download Alternate File Shredder

Alternate File Shredder, a program for permanently deleting files and folders, lives at this address - http://www.alternate-tools.com/

Its size is 909 kb. There are no viruses or installation difficulties. Has a multilingual interface (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Korean, Czech...). Works in absolutely any version of the Windows operating system.

And lastly, do not confuse Alternate File Shredder with uninstalling programs. These are different things. The hero of this article deletes exactly separate files and folders, rather than uninstalling programs previously installed on the computer.

P.S. I also ask you not to start a holivar in the comments about the fact that there are other programs with a similar function of reliable permanent deletion - of course there are, but this article was about Alternate File Shredder.

Until new useful ones computer programs and don't forget to delete files behind you.

Data recovery and destruction are two sides of the same coin. To know when and how you can get your information back, you need to understand how it can be permanently destroyed. And in some situations it is simply necessary: ​​for example, destruction corporate information when disposing of equipment, destruction of your personal data when transferring the disk to friends for use or sale, or maybe you want to delete the history of correspondence with your mistress once and for all;) It is believed that the best specialists data recovery work in the special services, so we formulated the question exactly this way: how to destroy information from a disk so that neither the cops from department “K”, nor Q from James Bond, nor even our specialists from StoreLab can recover it.

Destruction of data using software

Full disk rewrite

Windows:
format c:
Instead of " c:" you must specify the letter of the logical partition.
For Windows Vista and older, previous generations of Windows delete only service information.

Linux:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4k
Instead of " /dev/sda"You must specify the address of the device to format.

Partial data overwrite

Destroying data along with the disk

Mechanical data destruction

But dropping the disc on the floor won't be enough. Yes, it will not be detected by the computer, but the data will be successfully restored in the laboratory. HDD drive will not survive a fall from the table, and in the off state the safe fall height is greater than when the disk is operating. SSDs were designed with such a case in mind; even a fall from a first or second floor window will not kill the disk. This is achieved due to the fact that the SSD has no moving elements; all actions are performed by the controller. The information can still be read by software or not. programmatically.

Modern discs are made of magnetically coated glass. Just remove the disk cover and pull out magnetic disk and break it. The glass disc breaks easily, but you should take safety precautions to avoid cutting yourself. A broken disk will lead to the destruction of the entire sputtering layer and it will no longer be possible to recover the data.

Physically

Chemically

What else is important?

• If you do not need long-term storage of confidential data, write it to volatile (random access) memory, then you will not have to worry about destruction.
• Make sure that your data cannot be recovered from other media on which a copy was once recorded.