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Mireth Technology's
File Shredder Test
Note: Within the industry, this type of privacy software is called a "File Shredder", a "Data Shredder", a "Hard Drive Wiper", a "File Wiper", a "Disk Cleaner" or a "Secure Delete Utility". We use the term "File Shredder" because that was the popular term back in the early 1990s when we first produced ShredIt. We also use the Macintosh term "trash" in this test. Windows users, please substitute the term "recycle bin".
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| "If the computer you're going to eighty-six still works, donate it. Wipe the hard drive clean (ShredIt can do that for you; $20; Mireth.com). "
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"If you are the type of person who shreds paper documents to protect your credit card numbers and bank statements, but leaves this stuff readily available on your computer, then you need to go the extra step to secure your information. For Mac users, ShredIt X provides that extra step."
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"Recently, two MIT students found during their two-year study that over half of the hard drives collected had recoverable data. Even more eye-opening: A good number of those drives contained personal information, such as credit card numbers, medical records, and personal letters. "
Article: "Ultimate Data Destruction"
(pdf)
Feb 2003
Tech TV
The Screen Savers
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| "The Windows Recycle Bin is not the end for your deleted files. In fact, deleted files linger even after you've emptied the Recycle Bin. That information could be recovered and read if your computer is stolen.... Fortunately, there are tools to help ensure that deleted files are truly gone. They're commonly called shredders... A few that I've found are ShredIt ($20).... "
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"Head of the Herd" December 1999
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"Macsimum rating: 7 out of 10 ...
ShredIt can shred data on the hard drive, an external hard drive, a floppy disk, a Zip disk, windows formatted media, a RAM disk and just about any disk you can attach to your Mac (except read-only disks and CD ROMs). You can shred items already tossed in the trash. ShredIt X offers optional electronic document shredding standards compliance (US DoD, NSA, Gutmann), a configurable overwrite pattern and number of overwrites. ...
... one good trick is all you need. "
Review: "James Bond or Jane Doe will find ShredIt X useful "
(pdf)
Dennis Sellers
Macsimum Perspective
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"ShredIt is a great utility. Works as advertised - how often do you see that!"
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"You can buy ShredIt from Mireth Technology (www.mireth.com) for Macintosh OS 8/9 as well as OS X. With these tools you can dispose of your PC and keep your secrets. Remember, you have the right to remain silent. And so does your discarded hard drive."
Article: "Hard drives dumped; information isn't -
Don't be smug in thinking personal data has been erased"
(pdf)
Larry Magid
The Mercury News
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"ShredIt ($30 or less at mireth.com/shredit.html) can erase files and drives and comes in versions for most Windows and Macintosh systems.... "
Article: "Q. What's the best way to make sure all information is completely erased from my hard drive before I donate my computer to charity?"
(pdf)
J.D. Biersdorfer
New York Times
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"Thanks for your very reasonably priced product, your reasonable licensing policy, and for keeping the download files around a long time so that those of us who lose the original install, lose the CD we purchased (temporarily I hope), don’t get forced to buy the product again.
.... outstanding!"
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| "When you delete a file from your computer, only the file reference is deleted. The data is still retrievable...Drag a file to ShredIt and watch it disappear forever. "
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"I recently purchased the ShredIt utility and it works wonderfully. "
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Mireth Technology's
File Shredder Test
- Should you delete that FILE or shred it instead?
- Should YOU erase your HARD DRIVE before you disposing of your computer?
- Should you erase your iPOD, USB Thumb Drive, or External Hard Drive before selling it?
Take this test and in less than 2 minutes you'll know whether you should be using a File Shredder.
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To begin the test, put five fingers in the air and then answer these questions
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What type of data have you deleted that could be recovered?
Are you at high, medium or low risk because of the nature of the data that you have deleted and that could be recovered
High Risk
- Your recovered data may contain highly confidential clients files (legal, criminal justice, medical, personnel)
- Your recovered data may contain confidential business files (trade secrets, marketing strategies, financial information)
- Your recovered data may contain enough personal and financial information that someone could use it to steal your identity. (If you don't know what this is, use a search engine to look up "Identity theft")
- Your recovered data may contain very personal information that would be very hurtful to others if it was recovered
Low Risk
- You don't really use your computer for anything besides games. There is no personal, financial or work related data on it
Medium Risk
- If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk
Scoring
Remember your 5 fingers in the air?
- If you assessed yourself at high risk, put down 2 fingers
- If you assessed yourself at medium risk, put down 1 finger
- If you assessed yourself at low risk, put down 0 fingers
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What would be the impact of someone recovering the data you've deleted?
Are you at high, medium or low risk because of what could happen if someone did recover your data
High Risk
- You would be professionally embarassed (or worse) just because someone was able to recover your data (lawyer, doctor, computer security specialist)
- The contents of your recovered data could cause other people/businesses financial hardship, hurt or embarassment
- The contents of your recovered data could negatively impact on your business by revealing trade secrets, business strategies, financial information
- The contents of your recovered data would allow someone to impersonate you and steal your identity
Low Risk
- Your recovered trash might contain your scores at your favourite golf game, but not much else
Medium Risk
- If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk
Scoring
Time to put down more fingers.
- If you assessed yourself at high risk, put down 2 fingers
- If you assessed yourself at medium risk, put down 1 finger
- If you assessed yourself at low risk, put down 0 fingers
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What is the likelihood of someone else getting access to your computer and recovering the data you've deleted?
Are you at high, medium or low risk of someone else getting access to your computer, and your deleted data
High Risk
- You're selling or giving away your computer and plan to erase your hard drive or re-format it to ensure the data isn't recoverable
- Your computer is a company asset and has been assigned to someone else
- There is currently someone with access to your computer who you don't trust
- You travel alot with your computer
- Your computer is stored where it can be accessed by many people you don't know (reception area, very public office space)
- You don't use any security procedures (locked storage area, computer locking cable, etc.)
- Your computer is stored in an insecure area (high crime rate, trade show booth)
Low Risk
- You computer is always stored in a fairly secure area. You don't travel with it, and it can't be easily accessed by anyone you don't know and trust
Medium risk
- If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk
Scoring
Time to put down more fingers.
- If you assessed yourself at high risk, put down 2 fingers
- If you assessed yourself at medium risk, put down 1 finger
- If you assessed yourself at low risk, put down 0 fingers
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Assessing your risk
Count the number of fingers you still have in the air.
- If you have 4 or more fingers in the air, you probably don't need a Data File Shredder.
- If you have 2 or 3 fingers in the air, you may need a Data File Shredder.
This is most likely because you're disposing of your computer but don't think you have any data that would be risky if recovered. You can use an analogy to help decide whether to get a Data File Shredder or not. Think of a Data File Shredder as a paper shredder. If the data on your computer was on paper instead, would you shred it or put it in the trash? You decide.
- If you have 1 finger or less in the air, you need a Data File Shredder.
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