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Ah, secure deletion-one of the most misunderstood computer functions out there.

The problem with deleting a file in Windows is that you don't actually destroy it; you merely mark the sectors as "available to be overwritten". Then, when your computer needs space to write a new file (which it does almost constantly, even while searching the web) it begins writing over the sectors that once held the file you want deleted.

Problem is, the way Windows writes info is fairly random, so a deleted file might take a while to be completely overwritten. On top of that, some files can be recovered AFTER being overwritten.

So, what's the solution if a file has to disappear?

Nuke it.

Not literally, of course. Well, you could, I guess, if you've got your hands on a lot of plutonium, but barring that, I'm talking about the more mundane practice of secure deletion.

There are many standards for securely destroying a file, but the best is DOD-7, the Department of Defense's mandate for how to completely obliterate information.

The 7 means that a file is overwritten seven times with random 1s and 0s, making it completely irretrievable, even to data recovery experts.

Try searching Google for "DOD Secure Deletion" to find programs that can securely delete a single file, or if you're looking to wipe a whole drive, search for "Darius's Boot and Nuke." This bootable program lives up to its destructive name.

Remember to securely delete any drive before throwing it away or giving it away. If your drive is broken and unable to spin up, there's another way to securely destroy your information-open up your drive with a hex wrench and scratch the platters with a screwdriver.

Now your data's truly safe.

Learn more about this author, Phil Dotree.
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