In today's security-conscious digital age, end-users frequently pose the question "Is there a way to completely delete a file from my hard disk?" The short answer is yes, but it must be done deliberately, not assumed.
In it's article Hard drive destruction 'crucial' one might accuse the BBC of scaremongering, and even of being somewhat irresponsible.
"The most straightforward solution,[for destroying your data] according to Which?, is complete destruction - and it recommends using a hammer."
One could have several issues with this:
- It might seem like fun to smash a hard drive to smithereens, but a stress on the need to safely dispose of the resulting mess should be made. Hard drives contain toxic materials and need to be disposed of properly through e.g. vendors.
- Software can be used effectively while allowing the drive to be reused. Freeware tools such as DBAN exist and will overwrite the disk's existing data.
Admittedly the report is based on a Which? Computing article, but the BBC fail to provide a link to the original.
