>>OT (Online Topic) ONTRACK Introduces DataEraser Software for PC Protection; DataEraser Software Permanently Erases Confidential Information From PCs

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Note: Posted for those interested in online news and privacy issues. This is from a company press release. This is not an endorsement for this product and is presented for information purpose only.

LinkPressRelease

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- ONTRACK Data International, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONDI - news), a leading provider of data availability software and service solutions, today announced the release of DataEraser (TM) V2.0, a data-scrubbing software program designed to completely erase a personal computer's hard disk of all data.

As PC users upgrade to newer, faster computers and send their obsolete systems to new owners or the dumpster, crucial information often goes along with the ride -- from work projects and personal finances to love letters, e-mail messages, records of frequently visited Web sites and more. Before selling or donating old personal computers, Ontrack advises that users take extra precautions to make sure the PC hard drive is truly erased. Otherwise, confidential or embarrassing information may be shared with the PC's new owner.

``Data saved to your hard drive remains on the drive even after it is deleted, sent to the Recycle Bin or after the drive is re-formatted or re-partitioned. Deletion or re-formatting typically means that the operating system no longer has access to the data, not that the actual information has been removed,'' said Jim Reinert, director of worldwide software for Ontrack. ``DataEraser allows safe recycling of hard drive media by overwriting all of the data on a drive including boot records, partitions, folders and files.''

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-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 03, 2000

Answers

Shucks, PGP already does that and it's FREE from MIT.

C

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 03, 2000.


shoot, and this is supposed to be something new? My Norton Wipedisk.exe has been flawlessly performing that function for 10 years.

-- elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), February 03, 2000.

make that OVER 10 years.

-- elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), February 03, 2000.

PGP Wipe is freeware and a good choice.
Another freeware product is Bcwipe.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), February 03, 2000.

Addendum: Article posted to reflect the increasing consumer demand for privacy. Products are developed based on market research. I suspect we will see a lot more options emerge at a rapid pace.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 03, 2000.


I just posted the press release for my product, which is similar in concept. If you see any info on a data-destruction program called "Terminus," that's my baby. Mine's not intended to decommission a PC (read: wipe the whole drive) like the OnTrack product is, instead, mine's one of a large number of apps that zap data on a machine still in use.

I'll not post anything on it here since it's not appropriate for the forum, but I will say that such products are out there. Mine is but one of 25 similar ones I know of. A few notable apps: Norton's several various wipe tools (all good); PGP's secure-wiper (good but has a few problems); BCwipe (excellent, free, but the swapfile wiper is not as good as you'd think - it failed my cluster analysis!); Shredder95 (not bad but I've seen better); Shiva: Destroyer of Files (cool name, but a comparatively poor program); East-tec's Eraser (excellent program, only one of my two major competitors); InfraWorks' Shredder (another excellent program and my only other major competitor).

If anyone wants to know more about how these things work, which programs are and aren't good for what, and why, drop me a note. I know a LOT more about these apps (for obvious reasons) than I do white LEDs. (Wow, imagine that!) I also have the skinny on tools you can use to VERIFY these apps work. (More often than not, they -don't!)

The ever odd O d d O n e

-- OddOne (mocklamer_1999@yahoo.com), February 03, 2000.


Odd One,

Thanks for the info. BTW, Terminus is a cool name. I like it.

Appreciate all the input to this thread ya'all.

As always, I am 4 ever LQQKing.

~Dee =)

-- Dee (T1colt556@aol.com), February 03, 2000.


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