In general, a Mac user may need an application utility, converter utility, recovery applications but how often does a Mac user requires a data wiping utility? I am not betting on it but yes, maximum percentage of the users (including myself) may never assume of having one.

To us, deleting data permanently from a Mac machine using the command ‘Option-Shift-Command-Delete’ or by emptying the trash folder is more than sufficient. But to confirm a sensitive file is wiped from the drive, I may opt to format the media, hard drive and USB. But again, a question arises from the action, whether my efforts are enough to secure the sensitive data?

With the help of some data recovery utilities, the trashed & formatted data can be easily regained, considering the formatted data was not overwritten.

The role of disk wiping techniques?

A disk wiping utility can be found easily on the Internet and on software stores for different platforms (Win, Mac). Its role has been broaden in the past few years as many organizations, including single system users have realized the need of data destruction before it falls into wrong hands. To avoid any kind of misuse of the data, the system administrator ensures its complete removal from the storage media. The role of media wiping utility comes into play only when a single user concludes to let off its old system for someone else’s reuse. But talking about the big organizations, the drive wiping tools have much vast scope, mostly for administrators who indulge in working on number of connected drives sharing a pool of sensitive data.

So, how the utility destruct the data beyond any recovery?

1. Clearing approach of wiping the drive, encompasses the measures to clean the content in a manner where the recovery is not possible by using data recovery applications, other than distinct laboratory methods.

2. Purging technique is to sanities the drive content and make sure that they are not re-created using any recognized method.

3. Destruction: The manner of destroying the data by physically abusing the drive beyond the scope of any further use. This technique can be easily followed by a lay user by crushing the drive under a steam roller. (Jokes Apart)

What technique do wiping tools uses to erase data outside the scope of recovery?

Its answer is mere simple, by the help of data wiping algorithms, a disk wipe software is able to clean the content of the drive forever.

Complexity of data wiping methods: Implementing data wiping techniques on SSDs, advanced hard drive, drive having bad sectors and optical drive is still considered to be complexed and a topic of research.