On Secure Data Deletion

Secure data deletion is the task of deleting data from a physical medium, such as a hard drive, phone, or blackboard, so that the data is irrecoverable. This irrecoverability distinguishes secure deletion from regular file deletion, which deletes unneeded data only to reclaim resources. Users securely delete data to prevent adversaries from gaining access to it. In this article, we explore approaches to securely delete digital data, describe different adversaries´ capabilities, and show how secure deletion approaches can be integrated into systems at different interface levels to protect against specific adversaries.