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How to securely erase data from old USB drives before disposal

By PulseAugur Editorial · [2 sources] ·

Simply deleting files from a USB drive is insufficient for secure data erasure, as recovery software can still access them. A full format is recommended, which overwrites existing data and scans for bad sectors, making recovery much harder. For maximum security, especially with sensitive data, physically destroying the drive is the safest option, involving methods like damaging memory chips on SSDs and flash drives. AI

IMPACT Provides guidance on data security for common consumer electronics, with minimal direct impact on AI operations.

RANK_REASON Article provides instructions on how to use existing tools (File Explorer, Disk Utility) to perform a function (securely wiping USB drives).

Read on Engadget →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 2 sources. How we write summaries →

How to securely erase data from old USB drives before disposal

How we ranked this

Signal score
0 / 100
Composite score across the factors below. Higher = stronger signal that this story matters right now.
Newsworthiness bucket
Tool
Article provides instructions on how to use existing tools (File Explorer, Disk Utility) to perform a function (securely wiping USB drives).
Source corroboration
2 independent sources
Multiple independent publishers reporting the same story raises confidence that it's real and newsworthy.
Topics
product, other
Editorial topic classification. Feeds into how the story surfaces on /topic/<slug> hub pages and into the per-entity coverage mix.
AI-industry relevance
Low
Off-topic or adjacent — cluster remains reachable but doesn't surface in AI-industry rankings.
Story freshness
49 days old
Aged out of breaking-news scoring windows; ranking reflects the durable signal from the full source set.

Full methodology in our editorial standards.

COVERAGE [2]

  1. Engadget TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] (Adnan Ahmed) ·

    Before you throw out your old USB drives, do this first

    Deleting old files before throwing a storage device away actually offers very little protection.

  2. Mastodon — mastodon.social TIER_1 English(EN) · [email protected] ·

    Before you throw out your old USB drives, do this first Deleting old files before throwing a storage device away actually offers very little protection. https:/

    Before you throw out your old USB drives, do this first Deleting old files before throwing a storage device away actually offers very little protection. https://www. engadget.com/2230988/how-to-wi pe-old-usb-drive/ # Tech # Technology # Gadgets # Cybersecurity # Engadget # OpenSo…

    LINKS engadget.com/…/how-to-wipe-old-usb-drive

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