Picking a file shredder that will completely erase data

The United States Department of Defense has set standards for software products generally known as file shredders. A file shredder is a specific type of software program that will write onto sectors of a computer hard drive or other digital storage device with a random pattern of information. The purpose of this is to breakdown previously accessible information into an endless amount of undecipherable bytes of computer code.

One can easily see why the government would need this type of program, considering that they often sell their computer hardware as surplus once it becomes obsolete. We could not very well have secret plans being reconstructed by parties unknown after they picked up a used government PC at an auction. For this reason, before anyone discards an older computer onto which they’ve written personal or private information, they should read a few file shredder reviews, choose an acceptable software product, and use that product to completely wipe clean their computer’s hard disk drive of any previously stored information.