Delete: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing <delete a passage in a manuscript> <delete a computer file> (From Miriam-Webster's Online Dictionary)

Windows should seriously re-think their 'Delete' term and possibly rename it to 'Convert to Zombie'.

Newsflash: As you may or may not know, deleting file(s) such as spreadsheets, word documents, or even e-mails (the list goes on...) from your computer does not actually erase them.

In other terms, if a valuable artifact you may have thought was deleted into oblivion might actually be recovered without too much effort. Physically speaking, there can even be magnetic traces that are left on the hard drive disk that might be read to rebuild the deleted files. This is because the operating system (Windows) will just remove the references (not the contents!) that the file holds to special tables. Even deleting temporary internet files has faces the same issue.

Before reaching a state of panic and purchasing 3 full baskets of garlic and holy water, here's some information about where sensitive data lives on your hard drive. 

The obvious locations are in the files you remember that are secure. Excel documents, e-mails, PDF bank statements, etc. Next area of concern - the famous Recycling Bin. Probably the simplest way to recover deleted files. So much for saving the environment!

Some less obvious places where sensitive information is kept is in free disk space. Free disk space is as misleading as the word Delete in this context. In reality when you delete the file, the space used nby the file is not actually cleared and is still occupied by the file. It's up to the operating system to actually allocate that space for something else.  Even the name of the file can be recovered if the file is wiped out, which might give some insight on sensitive information (consider a directory with a file listing, each file named after something confidential). Other locations exist as well.

Now that you're aware of Windows' serious misuse of the word Delete, consider erasing data beyond recovery with East-Tec Eraser 2010 developed by EAST Technologies®.

This powerful tool can erase data -for good- in a number of easy and accessible ways. Firstly, you can add the directory listing within the software itself, or simply right click the directory or file and in the Send To you have the option of sending it to the software. I really like when applications allow us to quickly do things like that by just the click of a mouse.

The installation is straight forward, and even prompts for creating a start menu item/quick launch/desktop shortcut (which not many applications do).

Right after the installation completes, you can run the software and in the right hand side of the task bar, you will notice that there is a Risk Alert dialogue. In my particular case, the application was warning me that (1) I had a risk of having information from the internet that I did not actually intend to acquire, (2) I had files that were deleted recently that could be recovered, and (3)  My Recycle Bin needed to be emptied. In addition, a Quick Start page pops up presenting options to erase data.

East-Tec Eraser 2010 provides the following high level functionality:

(1) Erase Files and Folders

(2) Protect your computer and internet privacy

(3) Destroy previously deleted files beyond recovery (aka Zap the Zombies)

(4) Eliminate deleted e-mails

(5) Erase entire disk drives

(6) Schedule periodic maintenance and automate common tasks

The interface is sleek and highly usable.

The power of data can easily be appreciated by the consequences it might produce when it gets in the wrong hands. Once it's out, not even the strongest garlic can make it go away.

I encourage you to check out East-Tec Eraser 2010, but please be careful, it does the job - once it's gone, it's gone :)

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