make NUKE NUKE

[davek]

Hi

I create quite a few confidential documents. When they are complete I securely delete interim versions and store the final document in an encrypted vault. I am really impressed with XYplorer apart from the fact tha NUKE doesn't. Shift-deleting to bypass the recycle bin isn't secure - getting fiiles back isn't difficult, just a bit inconvenient.

I've noticed that I'm not the only person who would like a secure delete (using overwriting) built in and that requests have been made over a period of time. Given the number of facilities XYplorer offers I'm a little puzzled that secure deletion has'nt been added.

Please add secure deletion and then I can transfer to XYplorer as my main file manager.

Dave

[admin]

Secure nuking is very difficult, almost impossible, because with today's OSs the relation between a "file" and its physical representation on disk can be complex. "Overwriting" is an idea that's hard to realize...

Anyway, if you are happy with the classic five of nukology ("overwrite", truncate length to zero, rename, reset file date, and finally delete), this can be done in one of the next versions.

[davek]

That level of destruction would do me fine - thanks for the quick response!!

What I need is something that an easily available freebie data rescue programme would have difficulty recovering.

Dave

[ogroeger]

I must say your workflow doesn't make sense to me. If you have a file in an unsecure location you can't regain security by nuking it because... ...it was already unsecure. The os could have left artifacts through temp files, your application could have left artifacts, a defragger could have made copies, you could forget to nuke ...
Why don't you keep all versions in a secure place? Using something like Truecrypt is a no-brainer.

[PeterH]

...
Why don't you keep all versions in a secure place? Using something like Truecrypt is a no-brainer.

But remember: the "all versions" means: the file itself, all temp- and work-space, swap, ...
Best: everything, isn't it so?

And if you decide to do so, don't think what to encrypt: only think what not to encrypt, encrypt everything else!

PS but I think there is a usage for a "delete with overwrite", as specified by Don before.

[davek]

I use a TrueCrypt encrypted vault to store intermediate versions, working notes etc - I just want to be able to totally remove the intermediates and other no longer needed stuff when the final document is approved for use.

Periodically I also clean the freespace, but with todays big drives it is too time consuming to do very frequently - I hope that it clears up fragments from defragging and any other procersses that leave stuff around. I'm not worried about people with FBI type tools, just people who can handle disc sector reading and can use competent file recovery software!

Any, thanks for the comments - and have a great Christmas