ParetoLogic Privacy Controls > Tutorials > Secure Shredding Options

Secure Shredding Options

Why Is Secure Shredding Necessary?

Deleting files using the Windows explorer does not completely erase the files. Using specialist software or scripts it is possible to restore files that have even been emptied from your deleted items folder. Ghosts or replicas exist on your hard drive and within the Windows system. Registry entries are also left that contain remnants of the file. By overwriting a file it becomes impossible to restore to its original state.

Secure Shredding

ParetoLogic Privacy Controls offers secure file shredding with three different levels of security. Over-writing files once is considered a quick erase and some remnants of the file may still be found. However, the document as a whole cannot be fully restored using any form of software.

Overwriting a file three times means that much less of the original information can be restored. This safe form of deletion ensures that software can not be used to recover anything apart from the smallest amount of data from the file.

The most secure option offered by ParetoLogic Privacy Controls software is to overwrite files seven times. This extremely safe option ensures that no specialist application can restore remains of any files. For general deletion, this level isn’t necessary, but for deleting personal information it is an ideal way to protect your privacy.

Why Should I Delete Personal Files?

Deleting porn isn’t the only potential use of secure file shredding. Protecting personal information is becoming more and more essential when using the Internet. Like shredding paper mail in order to protect your privacy, securely shredding files is a routine we should all attempt to follow. Thieves and hackers can gain access to deleted files even once they have been emptied from your recycle bin, but even with a single shred this becomes much more difficult. Shredding a file seven times is a highly effective method of deleting files without leaving traces.

Using ParetoLogic Privacy Controls To Securely Delete Files

Using ParetoLogic Privacy Controls it is possible to select files for secure shredding or safely delete entire folders and completely remove the contents of the recycle bin on your computer. Using the following technique you can determine the files you want erased and how many times you would like to shred the selected files.

1 – Opening ParetoLogic Privacy Controls Advanced Shredder

Click the Advanced Shred link to open the appropriate Window.

2 – The Shred List Box

The Shred List box is used to display the exact files and folders that you intend to shred. The list is updated by using the Add and Remove buttons.

3 – Adding Files To The List

To add more files click the Add button. This will present you with two options:

Selecting Add More Files will open the file explorer browser enabling you to select any file found on your computer. Double click the file that you wish to add to the list. Keep adding files until you are happy that you have included everything you wish to remove from your computer.

Add All Recycle Bin Files lets users select the contents of the main recycle bin and all other recycle bins on their system. Selecting this is a quick and easy method to remove traces of all deleted files. Click this for a general clear out and to ensure that your personal information is kept personal.

4 – Removing Files From The List

If you want to remove any files from the list you have two options once you click the Remove button.

Highlight one or more entries in the list of files and choose Remove Selected Files From The List. This will remove the highlighted files but leave any remaining files in that list.
Alternatively, by selecting Remove All Files From The List you can quickly reset the list and start again.

5 – Choosing The Shredding Setting

Once you have populated your list you should determine the level of shredding required.

Quick (1 overwrite pass). The file is overwritten once before being securely shredded. This is the quickest of the three options but some traces of the file may still be found by using specialist software.
Safe (DOD 5220.22-M: 3 overwrite passes). 3 overwrite passes means that the file is overwritten three times before being deleted. Any remnants are increasingly unlikely to contain information from the original file. This takes a little longer than the Quick option but offers greater security.
Thorough (7 overwrite passes). Documents or files are overwritten seven times before being deleted. This is the most secure method, and it is highly unlikely that any meaningful traces of the files will be left even using specialist recovery software. This is the most secure and the most time consuming method.

6 – Starting The Shredding Process

Click Shred once you are sure that you have selected the right files. Files cannot be recovered once they have been shredded in this manner so be certain that the list is accurate and you do not delete any files that you require.

7 – Confirming The Deletion

Click Yes on the proceeding confirmation screen to begin the shredding process.

The amount of time it takes to complete will depend on the number and type of file being shredded. A single file is completed almost instantly regardless of the setting you have chosen.

Secure File Shredding From ParetoLogic Privacy Controls

We use the Internet and our computers for an increasingly wide array of personal actions. Online banking, online shopping, and online ordering all require the passing of personal information. It is common to have files on our computer that contain names, addresses, and even bank details and website logon details. Securely deleting or shredding files of this nature is the only way to be certain that the information does not fall into the wrong hands. You should try to use this application whenever you are deleting files with personal information.

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