Destroying data
Based on: https://securityinabox.org/en/files/destroy-sensitive-information/
A phone or computer uses its memory like someone who works very hard to save paper: it writes in pencil, and piles up the files you tell it to delete (like temporary files or the files in your device's Trash, Recycle Bin, or Rubbish Bin). When it needs more space, it erases writing from paper in the "delete" pile, and writes on that part of the paper again for new files.
So when you drag a file to the trash and empty it, your phone or computer does not really remove that file. What happens is more like removing labels from a filing cabinet, but leaving the files in it. "Deleting" a file only tells your phone or computer that it can use the space where the deleted file was saved for something else. Until your device saves another file in that space, the original file can still be seen by someone who has access to your device, and the right tools.
The tools we recommend do more than just delete the file by erasing the words. They scribble over the top of every word with random nonsense several times so no trace of the original file is left behind.
Security experts agree that "wiping" your phone's or computer's unused space in this way is effective enough to keep an intruder from reading your erased files.
There is a big exception to this, in all phones and in newer computers. There is a risk that newer drives called solid state drives, or SSD, will not fully erase their contents because of a technique called "wear leveling." Learn more about the challenges of erasing SSDs here. https://ssd.eff.org/module/how-delete-your-data-securely-macos#SSDs To make it harder to recover what you have erased from an SSD drive it is crucial to encrypt these drives (LINK Chapter 2.5.1.) as soon as possible, particularly if you are going to dispose of them. It is also important to encrypt drives before you re-use them.
Secure deletion tools will not erase files you have not deleted or specifically told it to wipe. Still, be careful with software like this. If it is your first time using these tools, follow these steps in order to erase files safely and effectively. There are a few ways to wipe sensitive data from your devices. You can wipe just a single file, the contents of your trash, the 'empty' space on the drive, or the entire drive.
We recommend cleaning traces of your work to remove history of your activity on the device, combat malware and to help your device work better. These files are hard to find and remove safely. In the next few paragraphs, we will tell you more about these files.
Your web browser saves text, images, cookies, account information, the history of websites you have visited, and personal data used to complete online forms. Our section on Firefox can tell you more about that data, and how to delete it more often.
Your device and the apps on it also save temporary versions of files you are working on. This way, if it crashes or there is a power outage, you don't lose all the work you have done. If you wipe the file you were working on, you remove the current version, but your device continues to store older temporary files in ways that are hard to find and remove without special tools. Apps and devices also save all sorts of other shortcuts to make our lives easier, including what you copy to the clipboard.
Set a regular schedule to wipe your device's unused memory securely, to continue to ensure sensitive files do not remain on your devices, hard drives, USB memory sticks, removable memory cards (SD cards) from cameras, mobile phones or portable music players, and any other device that saves sensitive information.
Use BleachBit https://www.bleachbit.org/ to remove temporary and hidden files. See their guide https://docs.bleachbit.org/
Use "Custom files and folders" https://support.piriform.com/hc/en-us/restricted? return_to=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.piriform.com%2Fhc%2Farticles%2F360047943632-Including- files-and-folders-for-cleaning-with-CCleaner-for-Mac&locale=en-us LINK DOES NOT WORK! in CCleaner for Mac to remove temporary and hidden files
Use "Custom files and folders" https://support.piriform.com/hc/en-us/restricted? return_to=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.piriform.com%2Fhc%2Farticles%2F360048231491-Select-files- and-folders-to-clean-with-CCleaner-for-Windows&locale=en-us LINK DOES NOT WORK in CCleaner to remove temporary and hidden files
Alternately, use BleachBit https://www.bleachbit.org/. See their guide https://docs.bleachbit.org/
Use BleachBit https://www.bleachbit.org/ following this step by step guide.https://ssd.eff.org/module/how-delete-your-data-securely-linux
Use Eraser https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#eraser
Alternately, use BleachBit, https://www.bleachbit.org/ following this step by step guide.https://ssd.eff.org/module/how-delete-your-data-securely-windows
It may seem like simply using a face blur feature or covering sensitive details will protect the people or places in your images. However, it may still be possible for someone with the file to see what you are covering up if the blur is not done in a specific way. Obscuracam ensures the blur is done securely.
Images also contain more information than just what is visible in the picture. All files have a small amount of information about where and how they were created. This information is called metadata. You can usually get a look at some of a file's metadata on a computer by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Properties" or "Get info."
Some metadata may include your location or the device the file was made with: information that someone looking at the file could use to identify you. Scrambled Exif, MetaX, and Exifcleaner help you securely erase metadata. See this article for more information on metadata, and how you can clean it from your files.
Use Obscuracam, https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#obscuracam Scrambled Exif https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#scrambled-exif, MetaX, https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#metax or Exifcleaner. https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#exifcleaner
When you wipe an entire hard drive, you will need to run your computer's operating system off a different drive because a program like Eraser cannot thoroughly erase the device that is running it. This will require physically removing from your computer the drive you want to erase and essentially turning it into an external hard drive.
Close down all unnecessary apps.
Disconnect from the Internet, turning off wifi or unplugging the internet cable as needed.
Create an encrypted backup of your important files, as discussed in our guide How to recover from information loss. ( LINK Chapter 2.5.2 | Backup and recover data )
You may want to start by clearing your browser's temporary files. (check chapter "2.4.1 | Secure Browsing")
Then follow the device specific steps below
If possible, ensure full disk encryption is turned on (check chapter: "Consider encrypting your whole device" - "2.5.1 | Protecting data") before wiping your device.
First Factory reset https://support.google.com/android/answer/6088915 your device. then install and use Extirpater https://f-droid.org/packages/us.spotco.extirpater/ to wipe any traces left in the flash memory. Check chapter "Advanced: Remove the traces deleted information leaves in your smartphone" in "2.5.3 | Destroying data").
Follow these instructions https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201351 to securely erase your device.
It is not possible for a device to thoroughly erase itself. You will need to start your computer from an external drive to do this.
One option is to physically remove the hard drive from your computer, treat it as an external drive, and erase it using another computer.
For instructions on how to remove your drive, search for "remove hard drive" and the make and model of your computer on iFixit. https://www.ifixit.com/Search? query=remove+hard+drive
Put the drive you removed into an external USB 'drive enclosure.'
Consider using DBAN https://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/ to thoroughly overwrite your drive. This may take some time, and you will need to download DBAN and run it from a blank USB drive. Unfortunately, on newer computers that use a SSD (solid state drive), it is harder to guarantee that a drive is fully erased. However, you can take the steps listed below to do as much as you can.
Once you have wiped the entire disk, consider re-installing the operating system.
Be sure to set up full disk encryption.
On older Macs that have Intel chips, you can erase your hard drive securely using Disk Utility or Erase Assistant: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/erase-your-mac-mchl7676b710/mac. On Macs with SSD chips, do the following:
First, enable full disk encryption https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/encrypt-mac-data- with-filevault-mh11785/mac on the drive you want to erase. This ensures the contents of your hard drive look like random nonsense to anyone who does not have your device password.
Plug the drive you want to erase into a computer with Eraser https://securityinabox.org/en/files/tools/#eraserinstalled.
Delete everything on the external drive.
Then use Eraser to wipe all of the drive's unallocated space. You might need to let this procedure run overnight, as it can be quite slow.
The process of wiping a drive may take quite some time. When you are giving a computer to someone else, it may be difficult to negotiate not giving them the hard drive. But when you are selling or otherwise disposing of a device, it is worth taking these precautions to ensure you are not accidentally giving away your sensitive files to someone else.
Fully wipe the device using the instructions above.
Remove USB drives, CDs, DVDs, SD cards, SIM cards, dongles, or other small devices that may be inserted or plugged into your device.
If possible, when you are selling or giving away an old computer, do not give the new owner the hard drive; but if you must, be sure you have followed instructions on how to erase it first.
If you are disposing of an old hard drive, consider destroying it physically as well as wiping it. You can do this by hammering nails through the drive, or with a drill. Do not burn or pour acid on a drive, and do not put it in the microwave. Physically destroying data storage is always the safest option.
You can also keep a wiped drive that is in good condition to re-use yourself, in a new device or as an external hard drive.
Use the following instructions as an additional checklist when taking the steps we have listed in the section on securely erasing your device, above:
Follow these instructions (LINK zu 2.2.2 Absatz - Protect your android device ) to remove this device from the list of devices associated with your online accounts
Follow the instructions above for fully wiping a device securely
Follow these instructions (Link zu 2.2.2 - Absatz Remove unneeded Accounts associated with your device ) to remove this device from the list of devices associated with your online accounts Follow these instructions https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201351 to securely prepare your phone for disposal, including instructions for fully wiping a device securely
Follow these instructions (Link zu 2.2.2 - Absatz Remove unneeded Accounts associated with your device ) to remove this device from the list of devices associated with your online accounts
Follow the instructions above for fully wiping a device securely
Follow these instructions (Link zu 2.2.2 - Absatz Remove unneeded Device Accounts) to remove this device from the list of devices associated with your online accounts
Follow these instructions https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065 to securely prepare your computer for disposal, including the instructions for fully wiping a device securely
Follow these instructions (Link zu 2.2.2 - Absatz Remove unneeded Accounts associated with your device ) to remove this device from the list of devices associated with your online accounts Follow these instructions https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/before-you-sell-or- gift-your-windows-10-device-or-xbox-one-78ee8071-c8ab-40c4-1d89-f708582062e4 to securely prepare your computer for disposal
Follow the instructions above for fully wiping a device securely
Even if a CD or DVD lets you save additional data on it (if it is "rewritable"), it is better to destroy the disc. It is surprisingly difficult to erase the contents of a CD or DVD by writing over data that is already there.
You may have heard stories about information being recovered from CDs or DVDs after they were cut into small pieces. While this is possible, reconstructing information in this way takes a great deal of time and expertise. Judge for yourself whether someone is able and likely to expend that level of resources to rebuild a disc you have shredded.
Use sturdy scissors to cut unwanted CDs or DVDs containing sensitive information into small pieces. Some paper shredders also give you the option to shred CDs and DVDs. Just be sure your shredder does before trying to shred discs!
Dispose of the pieces in various locations far from your home or office to make reconstruction harder.
We recommend periodically wiping all of the "empty" space on your device.
If you do a Factory reset of your phone some traces of information may still be in it's flash memory.
Use Extirpater https://f-droid.org/packages/us.spotco.extirpater/to permanently erase everything you have deleted previously with CCleaner or after a Factory reset. Notice it is not in the Google Play store. Install F-Droid's APK https://f-droid.org/ first and install Extirpater then. Use it with care as it can permanently damage the memory if you run it to often.
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