Worried about people looking at stuff on your Mac they’re not supposed to? StuffIt Deluxe maker Aladdin Systems, Inc. today announced the release of a new Mac application that they say is analogous to a paper shredder. It’s called Secure Delete, a data deletion tool for Mac users. The software “completely and permanently erases selected files by overwriting them,” according to the developer.
Secure Delete supports Drag & Drop. To delete a file, you simply drag it onto the Secure Delete icon, and the application overwrites the section of the hard disk drive that contained the file. Product manager Pauline Shumake explained that this ensures that the file can’t be retrieved by someone else going through your computer. “It’s important to use Secure Delete to effectively remove private files so they don’t get into the wrong hands,” she said.
Secure Delete requires a PowerPC-based Mac with Mac OS 8.1 or later; Mac OS X is supported as well.
Secure Delete is available for download from its Web site. The software costs US$25 to register.