No, data can never truly be deleted. When data is deleted, it does not go away permanently, but rather it continues to exist in some form. Even wiping out a hard drive does not completely erase all the data, as computer forensics experts are able to retrieve some or all of it.
Even if the data is physically destroyed or erased from a storage device, it can still exist as a copy of the data in backup drives or computers. Furthermore, data can often be stored indefinitely in different locations, even if it is no longer stored on a single computer.
For example, when users post a message, status, or photo on social media, that data is now stored in a digital archive, even if it is no longer visible on the user’s social media account. All this is to say that data can never truly be deleted or eradicated from existence.
Do companies really delete your data?
Yes, companies can and do delete your data. Depending on the company, they may have different processes for deleting it. For example, they may have a system that automatically removes inactive accounts or delete data that is no longer needed.
Some companies may have a defined procedure that requires approvals from specific departments or individuals before deleting any data. In addition, many companies have specific policies and procedures in place to ensure that end users’ data is kept secure, and that any data that is deleted does not leave an audit trail.
Companies may also offer options for users to delete their own accounts or data, or even offer guidelines on how to securely delete data. Finally, many companies are increasingly taking privacy and data protection seriously and require their vendors, partners, and other third parties to delete data securely, rather than simply throwing it away.
How do I make sure that my deleted data is really gone?
To make sure that your deleted data is really gone, there are a few steps you should take. First, make sure to use reliable storage devices such as solid-state drives, hard drives, or external storage devices that have been securely wiped clean.
Second, use a secure data erasing tool such as SDelete or Blowfish to go beyond the standard delete command which simply marks the data as deleted, allowing it to be easily recovered with the right tools.
Third, you should use data encryption to ensure that no one can access the data without the encryption key. Finally, you should use a data masking tool to make sure your data is truly unrecognizable once it’s been destroyed.
Taking these steps will ensure that your deleted data is really gone and unrecoverable.
How long does a company have to delete your data?
The length of time a company has to delete your data can vary, depending on the regulations and requirements of the organization or institution. Generally, companies must delete personal data as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless there is a need or legal requirement to retain it for longer.
Companies should only store data for as long as there is a legitimate and legal purpose for it, and the organization should have a data retention policy in place that outlines how long data should be retained for.
Depending on the type of data and the purpose for which it was collected, it could range from a few weeks to several years. For example, data collected for financial transactions may need to be retained as long as legally required for financial and/or tax reporting purposes.
In some jurisdictions, organizations may even have to delete data upon request from the data subject, if they are no longer required by law to retain it.
How do companies destroy data?
Companies can destroy data in a variety of ways, depending on their preference and security needs. Some of the most common methods of data destruction include: shredding physical documents, degaussing to eliminate magnetic fields, using software-enabled data wiping, using a data-erasing hard drive, and physically destroying hard drives, including crushing and drilling through.
When destroying data, most companies will use a combination of methods to ensure no copies of the data remain and cannot be reconstructed. For shredding physical documents, some companies hire shredding services that use industrial shredder machines to shred the documents into tiny pieces.
For degaussing, companies may use specialized degaussing devices to reduce or remove magnetic fields from storage media. For software-enabled data wiping, companies can use special software to overwrite, randomize, or delete data stored electronically.
When it comes to hard drives, companies may use special software to erase them so they can be reused or destroyed physically by drilling, melting, or crushing. Some companies turn to professional data destruction companies to ensure the destruction process happens according to strict protocols, and that no data remains afterwards.
What companies can remove your information from the internet?
These services can help block or remove content such as social media posts, images, articles, and any other items that might contain sensitive information. Some companies that offer these services include ReputationDefender, Abine DeleteMe, and Brand Yourself.
ReputationDefender can help with services such as monitoring and protecting your online reputation, suppressing content related to your name, preventing the misuse of your personal information, and reducing risks associated with online identity theft.
Abine DeleteMe provides comprehensive online privacy protection, including removing your personal data from search engine results and data broker websites. Lastly, Brand Yourself has a suite of solutions for personal privacy protection, including monitoring and protecting your online presence, removing inappropriate content, and restoring your online identity.
How do I permanently remove myself from the internet?
Permanently removing yourself from the internet can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but it is possible with enough persistence and effort. The first step is to delete or deactivate your online accounts.
This includes any social media accounts, shopping accounts, home security accounts, email accounts, and any other type of online account you may have. Once you have deleted or deactivated your accounts, you need to delete your online information.
This includes deleting your profile pages, posts, comments, images, documents, and data stored online. You should also delete any online mentions of your name, address, phone number, and other personal information, as this may be linked to online accounts and profiles.
Additionally, webpages you created should be removed from the internet, including any domains or website hosting services you manage.
Next, check your email and online messages for confirmation emails or other types of correspondence, and delete as many of them as possible. You can also use an online privacy service to erase search engine results related to you.
These services usually come with a fee, but should provide a comprehensive way of erasing information and images of you that are posted online. Finally, when it comes to erasing yourself from the internet, it’s important to keep your information private.
This includes not giving out your personal information, such as your address, phone number, or date of birth, to any online contacts or websites.
It is possible to permanently remove yourself from the internet, but it takes time and dedication. With enough persistence and effort, you can successfully delete all of your online accounts, online images, documents, and other online information related to you.
Can the person who pays for the WiFi see your deleted history?
No, generally speaking, the person who pays for WiFi cannot see your deleted history. Your deleted history is stored locally on your device and typically isn’t sent to the router or modem. Unless you are using a system that is logging your browsing activity, your deleted history would not be visible to whoever pays for the WiFi.
It is still possible, however, for someone with access to your device to recover the data that has been deleted. To protect your privacy and delete your browsing history completely, you should use a secure browser or utilize a browser extension that deletes your browsing history every time you close it.
How do I permanently delete data from my hard drive?
Permanently deleting data from a hard drive requires a few steps. Depending on your operating system, the process may be slightly different. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to permanently delete data from your hard drive:
1. Connect your hard drive to your computer. If your drive is an external hard drive, plug it into your computer with a USB cable. If it’s an internal hard drive, make sure it’s properly installed.
2. Open up your file manager program. On Windows, this is File Explorer, and on Mac, this is Finder. Navigate to the folder on your hard drive that contains the data you want to delete.
3. Select the files or folders you want to delete and right-click on them. Depending on your operating system, you may need to select multiple files and/or folders at once and press the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard.
Alternatively, you can select the files and or folders and press the ‘Delete’ button at the top of the window.
4. Empty the trash or recycle bin. Once you have deleted the files, they will usually be stored in the trash or recycle bin on your computer. You need to empty this bin to permanently delete the data and make sure it is removed from your hard drive.
5. Perform a secure erase. A secure erase will completely overwrite the data with random data. This makes it impossible for any third party to recover the information. To perform a secure erase, you will need to install a data wiping program on your computer, such as CCleaner.
Follow the instructions inside the program to erase the data from your hard drive.
By following these steps, you can permanently delete data from your hard drive. It is important to remember that even after you have performed the secure erase, there may still be residual data left on the hard drive that can be recovered by a skilled technician.
Therefore, it is important to back up all important data on a regular basis and store it somewhere safe.
What are the 3 major methods of destroying data?
There are three major methods of destroying data, including physical destruction, degaussing, and data erasure.
Physical destruction involves physically destroying the device and any media containing the data by shredding, incineration, pulverizing, and melting. This method is a permanent and irrecoverable way to destroy data and is done if the device and other media are no longer needed.
Degaussing is a method of data destruction by applying a strong magnetic field to the device or media. This method scrambles the data and makes it unreadable, but is not permanent, as experienced data recovery firms can often partially or fully restore much of the degaussed data.
Data erasure is a software-based approach and involves wiping the data from the device or media. This method does not destroy or damage the device or media, but rather overwrites the existing data with zeros and ones, making it virtually impossible to recover the original data.
While data erasure is not as secure as physical destruction, it is a practical and cost-effective solution.
What company controls the most data?
Google is currently the company that controls the most amount of data. Google collects data on virtually every aspect of people’s lives through the products and services they offer. This includes the way people search the web, how they interact with the products they use, their location, their habits and preferences, and much more.
According to recent reports, Google collects over 2 billion unique user-generated pieces of data each day, totaling over 25 petabytes. Furthermore, a 2017 report estimated that Google has collected over 3.
5 billion online profiles on individuals, and they hold over 1,000 different types of data on over 2 billion people. Google also owns several companies such as YouTube, Gmail, and Android, giving it an even larger base of data to work with.
Beyond Google, there are several other tech companies that have collected large amounts of data. This includes Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.
Can you permanently delete data?
Yes, it is possible to permanently delete data. Different methods of deleting data can ultimately result in permanent deletion. For example, if you physically destroy the storage device that contains the data, it is impossible to restore the lost data (unless you have a backup of it).
For digital data, it is slightly more complicated because you need to make sure the device overwrites the data with other information and renders it unrecoverable. This can be done through technology like data erasure software, which overwrites all of the deleted data with meaningless and randomized binary code, making it unrecoverable.
Additionally, a practice known as degaussing uses magnetic fields to erase and reformat the data on a hard drive, making it permanently deleted. It is important to note that even if you delete a file from your computer, the data may still reside in the “unallocated clusters” of your hard drive, meaning it may still be recoverable.
Does deleting data delete everything?
No, deleting data does not delete everything. Depending on the data, it can often leave behind traces that remain even after the data has been erased. For example, when a file is deleted on a computer, it does not necessarily mean the data is permanently deleted.
Even after files are deleted, data fragments or fragments of their original file name may remain. Additionally, data deletion is not always secure. Once deleted, data may be reconstructed from certain storage media, such as magnetic storage, where data may remain in residual form even after it has been overwritten.
It is also possible to access deleted data from certain types of memory cards and other devices, even after it has been deleted or supposedly wiped clean. To delete data securely, it is best to use specialized software that can adequately erase files and make them unrecoverable.
Can police find deleted data?
In most cases, police can find deleted data, particularly if it has been stored in the cloud. Cloud storage services, such as Google Drive or iCloud, save backups of deleted data, which can usually be recovered by the police with a court-issued search warrant.
Additionally, if the data has been stored on a home computer or other physical device, the police can often retrieve deleted data using sophisticated forensic software. However, there are cases where deleted data may be unrecoverable.
If the device it was stored on has been physically destroyed, or if the data has been overwritten by other data, it can be impossible to retrieve it. That is why it is important for people to use secure deletion methods that overwrite the memory locations where the data was stored.
Applying these practices will make it much harder, if not impossible, for the police to retrieve deleted data.
How do you permanently erase data so that it Cannot be recovered?
The only sure way to permanently erase data from a device or a storage medium so that it cannot be recovered is to physically destroy the device or storage medium. This could include wiping drives with a degausser – a device that uses a strong magnetic field to erase magnetic media, physically shredding or incinerating the media, or pulverizing the large drives by breaking or crumbling them.
Another way to erase data is by using software solutions specifically designed to overwrite existing data several times. These software solutions use what is called a “data sanitization” algorithm, and are commonly used for data erasing in business environments.
However, it is important to note that software-based erasing functions may not completely guarantee that data won’t be recovered, as they rely on erasing buffers and the rewrite of existing data.
