In 2017, 143 million social security numbers were compromised when Equifax got hacked. As more and more of our important data is stored digitally, digital security becomes increasingly important. That’s as true for individuals as it is for big businesses like Equifax. If you’re concerned about the security of the digital information on your devices, you should learn how to permanently delete data from your laptop. Read on to keep yourself safer in the digital sphere.
Why Secure Data Deletion is Important
There are a few reasons why you may need to permanently delete data on your laptop. For one, it can improve performance. By removing data from your hard drive, you’ll free up disk space and improve your computer’s performance. Your laptop may also be storing personal information that you wouldn’t want anybody to have access to. You need to delete local file data as well as temporary files to ensure all of this is removed. Credit cards and passwords may be in your temporary files, saved forms you’ve filled out, or even on your internet history.
Before selling or lending your laptop, you’ll want to remove this information. The good news is, you don’t need an IT services agency or managed IT services to this on your own.
Delete Data With the Recycle Bin
If you use Windows, you may think that deleting files is as easy as sending them to the Recycle Bin. But the Recycle Bin allows you to restore files that were mistakenly deleted, so it’s not exactly a permanent solution.
A more permanent solution would be to empty the Recycle Bin. Technically speaking, this deletes them for good. However, that data may still be vulnerable with data recovery software or really great computer hacking skills.
Restore to Factory Settings
This is a more permanent way to delete data from your device. “Restore to factory settings” returns the device to its original state (i.e. the state in which you bought it).
In theory, this should remove any data you have stored on your laptop. However, you’ll have to check with the manufacturer to make sure that this function includes a secure wiping of all the data.
Delete Data Using Software
Perhaps the most secure way to ensure your data is permanently deleted is to use a software product. Software tools such as certus.software/en/certus-erasure-for-storage-devices/ can delete your data and make it unrecoverable.
These software products work on laptops, PCs, storage environments, and servers. You can also use these software products on single drivers and even USB sticks.
More on Today’s Technology
It’s important to delete data whether you’re a big business or an individual. Any time you lend out or sell your laptop, you should ensure that you wipe clean any personal information from the hard drive so it can’t be used with malicious intent. The most secure way to do that is using a software product.
And for more on today’s technology, be sure to check out our Tech section regularly.