Hello ccstlw. I've asked for your post to be moved to the Other Norton Products and Services board where it will gain the appropriate attention for an answer. This board is for the Norton Core router which will become end of life Jan 31, It has a drive wiper which will overwrite your drive any number of times you specify. This process will take many hours depending on the size and speed of your hard drive.
This is not for an SSD. This will overwrite all free space so you can delete files first. If you want to format your drive you can do a clean install of Windows and this will wipe out everything and reinstall Windows from scratch. Plus, the files are encrypted.
That makes it difficult for cybercriminals to access or steal your information. You might think moving your documents to the trash or recycle bin and emptying it will do the trick. Maybe not. This action appears to delete the files, but often leaves them where they were, hidden from view. Most data recovery programs can actually recover these hidden files.
When you empty files from the trash or recycle bin, the file name or the reference to the deleted file is erased. The computer can no longer see the file. This means the space the file took up on the laptop or PC is no longer reserved for that file. But the file is still in the hard drive. It will stay in the hard drive until its location is given up for a new file to be stored in that exact location. Data recovery software is capable of rebuilding the file header.
This makes it possible for the computer to see the file again. When your files are not deleted completely from the hard drive, cybercriminals can run data recovery software to access your deleted files. Law enforcement agencies use data recovery software to access deleted files from confiscated computers.
Cybercriminals can use the same tools and techniques to commit identity theft. Special software programs can permanently erase your hard drive. Similarly, no one else will be able to use data recovery software to recover your files.
Most programs run a low-level format that overwrites all the deleted files with zeros and other incomprehensible data. This makes it impossible for data recovery software to recover the files. This includes all personal files, operating systems, and installed programs.
Most products offer proof of erasure. Some even provide information about what was done to the drive and its data. This helps when wiping a company laptop or PC. If you want to double-ensure your hard drive is wiped, you can take additional measures. For instance, you can physically wipe the drive. Just remove your hard drive and take a rare earth magnet to it.
Another option? Physically dismantle it with a screwdriver. A rare earth magnet, like the neodymium magnet, can be used to deform the metal plates in the hard disk.
This makes it unusable. One warning: The magnets are powerful and can cause physical harm if used incorrectly. This open source encryption software supports several types of encryption and can be used with Windows, OS X, and Linus. This tool is useful in its ability to encrypt individual files, disk images, volumes, external drives, and connected media. This encryption tool supports bit AES encryption.
There are many encryption options available. The main takeaway? Your platform, the size of your files, your level of expertise, and your willingness to pay are a few of the factors to consider in deciding how to encrypt your data. All rights reserved. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon. Microsoft and the Window logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.
Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. How To. Security Center How To How to encrypt a flash drive. July 13, Why encrypt your flash drive? Encryption, flash drives, and filesystems An important factor in the encryption process for your flash drive is your filesystem. Step 4: Set password Enter a strong password to keep others from gaining access.
Encrypting a flash drive on a Windows computer Windows uses built-in encryption software known as BitLocker drive encryption, which is built into Windows Vista, including Pro, Ultimate, Enterprise, and Windows Step 2: Encrypt drive To encrypt your flash or external drive, select the drive in your file explorer, hit your Manage tab, Select BitLocker, and turn BitLocker on.
How to encrypt a flash drive for free There are several free options for encrypting the data on your flash drive through third-party tools. Join today.
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