Question about Data Security

[Paul_Young]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is in the right place - sorry if not!

A while ago a family member emailed me a word document containing some sensitive financial information (their credit card details so I could make a payment). I saved the document directly from the email to a memory stick.

I now wish to sell my laptop. My question is: even though I saved directly from the email to a USB stick, would the document also be somewhere on the laptop hard drive (seeing as the internet browser is a program stored on the laptop hard drive)? I ask as I do not want there to be any chance of someone sneakily recovering this document and rinsing this credit card.

I have read about data destruction software but it's not 100% from what I hear, so I would just like to know what chance there is of the document being on the hard drive in the first place.

Thanks a lot!

 

[lucasbytegenius]

Best thing to do is to clear your browser cache, delete your email program on that laptop, and make sure the document isn't in any of the documents folders.

If you really, positively need to be sure this isn't on there do a restore using the laptop manufacturer's system.

There is a chance of recovering the document after it's been permanently deleted (empty your Recycle Bin for sure) but unless someone is specifically looking for that document I wouldn't worry.

 

[Cromewell]

If you are really worried about it you can dban it (http://www.dban.org/). But for most people a format does a good enough job.