subject: Who Should Erase Hard Drive Data [print this page] When people erase hard drive data, they are usually content with just deleting the file itself through the delete button, or maybe even formatting it. What they do not know is that these acts are not enough to fully erase hard drive data. They should learn the other more secure methods of doing so if you would want to truly eliminate all traces of the file.
Here is a short list of people who should probably start learning how to erase hard drive data:
Database managers working with secure information
These are people who would often take care of ensuring that their companys various important files and information would not leak outside their companys walls and into their competitors office. These are the people who manage company data, from their financial records, trade secrets, and other highly confidential information.
They should learn how to properly erase hard drive data so that they would be able to ensure that there would be no remnants that could be used for data recovery, when its time to upgrade or replace their old computer equipment.
Those who use their computers to store their bank information
A few years ago, a number of students decided to purchase second hand drives all over the city as an experiment. They tried to see what kinds of information and data they would be able to recover from these hard drives that they have purchased. Surprisingly, one of the more common things that they were able to recover was credit card information of the previous owners.
Fortunately, these students were just doing this for the experiment and were not truly out to steal the information of the previous owners. However, the truth is that there are really people who would scavenge the hard drives for this kind of data.
As such, it would be truly important for people who store their bank information on their computers (either inside text files or by using their credit cards for online shopping), to erase hard drive data.
Fortunately, the task need to be done to erase hard drive data is not that difficult if you have the right software for it. You can easily purchase one that would enable you to clean your tracks without any hassles at all.