Data erasure is a method of wiping off information stored in any digital device. At times also referred to as data sanitization, data wiping or burning, the method involves digitally destroying all information so that it cannot be recovered.
Isn’t it Same as Deleting Data?
Normally, when we delete data, we cannot see it on our computers and other devices. For a normal person, this may seem more than enough. However, the reality is a bit different.
When we give a delete command to our laptops, computers and even mobile devices, the data is not deleted per se, but in actuality, the disk management system removes the files’ information from its database. This is like a library removing book titles from its index. If you go through the list, you will not see the specific books and believe that these are not in the collection. However, the reality is that the books are still on their shelves.
Deleting files is the digital equivalent. The disk management software is not aware of the files you delete and assumes the space is now free. A freely available DIY tool like Stellar Data Recovery can recover and restore deleted files easily. If you place more data on your drive, the management software will simply overwrite the “deleted” data with new one.
How to Ensure Data Erasure
Now that you understand how the data is (so-called) deleted, you might be wondering on how to go about making sure your old/unwanted data is properly deleted. The only method is to overwrite the data with gibberish. However, doing this manually is easier said than done.
For once, it is very difficult to manually ensure that the particular disk space is properly overwritten since how you organise data in your devices is different from storage organisation by the disk management software. Secondly, with advanced data recovery software, it is still possible to recover data even if you have manually overwritten it.
The only solution is to use a proper data erasure software, which is capable of destroying stored information, making it virtually impossible to recover.
How Does Data Erasure Software Work?
Data Erasure software such as BitRaser, are professional software that can help completely wipe data at the most basic level, ensuring that all information is completely irrecoverable so that your privacy is guarded.
Data erasure software achieves this through selecting the data that needs to be deleted and overwriting it using a stream of incoherent data, such as ones or zeroes in machine language. This means that the specific disk sectors are properly overwritten in a manner that the original data does not exist anymore. Specific data erasure software can also provide multiple erasures to make sure that even the first overwritten data is also wiped.
Is a Data Erasure Worth it?
In today’s world, data is more powerful than gold. Be it private data such as banking information or personal photos – or corporate sensitive information like intellectual property or company financial records – all are extremely valuable and need to be protected.
Hackers, scammers and corporate espionage is a daily occurrence and our data can be used to gain business or financial advantage, even rob us of our hard-earned money. No matter if you are an individual, a large firm or even a government department, proper data protection is key to protecting your assets.
While we can set up firewalls, anti-virus and other barriers from denying access to intruders, securing and destroying data on unwanted hard drives is another matter. Upgrading to new computers, changing storage devices or simply disposing off damaged ones means that these can end up in the hands of others and a proper data erasure is the need of the hour.
Do I need a Data Erasure Software?
Data leakage from unwanted devices happens more than we can think of. Take cell phones for example. These mobile devices have become a permanent part of our lives. Buying new ones and replacing old/broken mobile phones is a natural process.
While we may replace our devices, we give little thought to the data contained in the storages. Personal messages, photos, even banking apps. All of these are sensitive information and we either throw damaged devices away or sell old ones after a casual wipe.
These devices can end up in the hands of other users who can use simple data recovery software and gain access to your private data. A shrewd user could easily use a data recovery software to reconstruct your data and use it to their advantage. If you scale this example up to a corporate or a financial firm, the implications are much larger and scarier.
One alternative is to physically crush old and unusable devices. This is not only expensive, but also detrimental to the environment.
The safest alternative is to rely on a reputable data erasure software like BitRaser that offers certified and complete data burning without harming the devices at all.
