Securely Delete Files in Mac OS X

    I want to share a little known fact about Mac OS X with you but first I want to explain why this is important.  In today’s world, there are identity thieves around every corner just waiting for the chance to steal your personal information.  In addition, the theft of computers, especially laptop computers, is at an all time high.  Therefore, it is important that each of us remain vigilant against this threat. 
   
    Hard drives store data magnetically.  Meaning that if you simply delete a file, that file remains on your hard drive until it is overwritten.  This may be a matter of days or months depending on how you use your computer.  Mac OS X provides a way for you to easily and securely delete your files when you empty your trash can.  Here is how to do it.

    After you place the “deleted” files into your trash can, open up the finder preferences tab and find a check box that says securely delete files.  Click on that and now every time you empty your trash can, Mac OS X deletes your files and then writes random data over the area of the hard drive where those files lived rendering it virtually impossible to recover.

    Yes, I know this is an overly simplified explanation but I believe it will suffice for our purposes here.  If you want to learn more about how computers store data, visit this link http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.co.uk/data-recovery-articles/how-data-recovery-works/

    Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I hope you remember to take computer security seriously!