In today’s digital era, data security has become very important. USB drives are often used to transfer data between devices, but what happens when you want to throw them away?
Flash drives have become one of the most commonly used data storage tools today. However, with that convenience also comes security risks that should be seriously considered.
Just deleting the file is not enough because the data can still be recovered. Permanently deleting data from a flash drive is an important step to protect your sensitive information from unauthorized access. This article will explain how you can wipe your USB drive safely to ensure that your data does not fall into the wrong hands.
Why is regular deletion not enough?
Deleting data from a USB drive in the usual way, such as dragging files to the Recycle Bin or using the ‘delete’ command, is often not enough to permanently eliminate data. This is because the method only removes file references from the operating system, not its actual data. The data is still on the drive and can be recovered with data recovery software. Here are some reasons regular deletions aren’t enough:
When you delete a file, your operating system simply removes the file reference from the file allocation table, which means the space the file occupies is marked as ‘available for use. However, the actual data still exists on the drive until new data overwrites it.
Since the actual data is still on the drive, it is possible to recover the data using special software. This can be a big problem if the deleted data is sensitive or private.
To ensure data is permanently deleted, safer deletion methods are needed, such as data deletion using special software that rewrites sectors on the drive with random data or certain patterns to prevent data recovery.
For business environments or when deleting highly sensitive data, there are often data deletion standards to follow, which require more secure and verified data deletion.
Preparation Before Removing
Before you permanently erase USB data, there are some preparatory steps to take to make sure the process goes smoothly and your data is completely safe from unwanted recovery. Here are the preparation steps:
Backup Important Data
Make sure you have made backups of all the files you want to keep. Use cloud storage or an external hard drive to keep a copy of that data.
Choosing the Right Data Eraser Software
Many software options can be used to permanently delete data, such as CCleaner, Eraser, or DBAN. Choose the one that suits your needs.
Using Data Eraser Software
After choosing the right software, follow these steps to effectively erase your data.
Steps to Use Data Eraser Software
- Download and install the data eraser software of your choice.
- Connect the USB drive to the computer.
- Run the software and select the USB drive to be erased.
- Select the desired removal method. Some software offers a variety of methods, from simple removal to military-grade removal.
- Start the deletion process and wait for it to finish.
Advantages of Using Special Software
Using data eraser software provides several advantages, such as:
- High Security: This software is designed to erase data thoroughly, making it difficult to recover.
- Ease of Use: The friendly user interface eases the removal process, even for beginners.
Once the deletion process is complete, some software offers the option to verify that the data has been completely deleted. This is a good step to ensure that your data has been securely deleted.