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Erasure software is an application that implements a software-based method of erasing all the data present on a hard disk drive or any other memory storage device. The erasure software aims to completely destroy all the electronic data permanently, as opposed to basic file deletion, which simply resets the data pointers, meaning that data can possibly be recovered.
Techopedia Explains Erasure Software
Erasure software overwrites data with a string of meaningless pseudorandom data on all partitions of a hard drive. This type of data erasure is practiced in many big organizations where risk of data breach and identity theft must be completely eliminated. Erasure software commonly overwrites data multiple times to ensure that the original data can never be retrieved; this, of course, is needed for highly sensitive data. Good erasure software has a verification of deleted data to ensure that data is completely and permanently removed.
Erasure software can also offer remote destruction of sensitive data upon attempts to log in with an invalid password. This feature is commonly used in mobile devices as a theft deterrent and as a method of protecting personal data in the case of a stolen device.
