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Discussion => Security => Topic started by: bynter on August 07, 2013, 08:10 pm

Title: Stay Secure: Don't Delete your files; overwrite them
Post by: bynter on August 07, 2013, 08:10 pm
While this is a fairly beginner thing, I haven't seen any security guides mention this.
A file on your HDD exists as two components; the file itself, and a pointer showing where the file is located. When you delete a file, you're not actually erasing it, you're just erasing the pointer. The data still exists, and could be obtained fairly easily with a data recovery program. So, if you're going to delete a file, overwrite it with a bigger, nonincriminating file first. Same goes for formatting.
Title: Re: Stay Secure: Don't Delete your files; overwrite them
Post by: DrMDA on August 07, 2013, 08:51 pm
I hope this isn't news to anyone and I don't think it is. And you shouldn't over write with a bigger file you should wipe it according to DoD standards with CCleaner. Everyone uses CCleaner. Writing a bigger file over one you deleted will still show a shadow of the former file, you need to overwrite it at least 3 times for secure deletion.
Title: Re: Stay Secure: Don't Delete your files; overwrite them
Post by: chluke on August 08, 2013, 04:33 am
I've used another program called "Eraser" as well, to wipe individual files. Trouble is, who knows where additional copies of files  in windows end up as you access and use them. I feel much better now that I am using Tails.

After I started using Tails, I actually ended up going back and wiping my hard drive completely with a program called "Dban", and re-installing Windows, and bringing everything back up to date. Was a pain in the ass, and probably overkill, but I wanted to be sure I didn't leave anything incriminating anywhere on the hard drive.

Computer was having some performance problems for a while anyway, it works generally much better now.
Title: Re: Stay Secure: Don't Delete your files; overwrite them
Post by: postrex on August 08, 2013, 05:28 am
RAM disks baby... don't save stuff to disk that is incriminating in the first place.  Just make sure you power off your machine for a few minutes every day.
Title: Re: Stay Secure: Don't Delete your files; overwrite them
Post by: bynter on August 13, 2013, 10:49 pm
Alright, glad to know that you don't see this in any guides because everyone takes it for granted, not because it's advanced. I like to fancy myself as moderately good with computers, and I didn't learn about this until fairly recently, and I thought it might be helpful for people to know during the mass file deletion following Freedom Hosting's collapse.

So what's the problem with owerwritten files casting a shadow? For all LE would know, it could be any file was overwritten. Besides that, even if they had reason to believe it was something criminal, an overwritten isn't solid evidence for them.


Also, is keeping stuff on flash drives secure? I imagine you would only need to delete files once, as solid state is much less persistent than disks. Besides that, they can be destroyed and disposed very easily and stealthily.