Most people are pro-active with their security, making sure that their computer is protected against malicious software, phishing emails and dodgy websites. By installing the latest security software, you have peace of mind when browsing the internet.

Problems start when you decide to sell, give away or dispose of your computer. Before upgrading to a new machine, people move their important files and delete data from the drive. Problem is, this is easily recoverable by even the basic file recovery software. If someone picks up your PC, they could simply go through your hard drive and find all your documents, files and personal information.

The solution is to either completely and securely erase your drive contents or, alternatively, just send your most important files through a file erase process which deletes and then overwrites them several times, preventing recovery.

ASCOMP Secure Eraser is such a tool. You're presented with a number of options, including file/folder erasure or a complete drive. Select "File & Folder Deletion" and you can choose the individual files, then the type of security level you want to apply, from low to highest, which is a Peter Gutmann standard and, frankly, will take ages to perform. This level is only required if you have highly-sensitive documents such as secret Government files which are of national interest.

The other option is to erase an entire drive, which is particuarly useful if you wanted to handle an external drive you wanted to either give away, dispose or, frankly, clear of files you want no-one to find.

Secure Eraser has a few additional modules such as a Registry Cleaning and System Cleaning module which will clear temporary files from your drive and more.