violet wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:22 pm

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:15 pm Or just encrypt your system with the last working version of Truecrypt or some of the forks. Even if you don't have any incriminating files on your computer.

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:36 pm

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:15 pm Or just encrypt your system with the last working version of Truecrypt or some of the forks. Even if you don't have any incriminating files on your computer.

While its a good program to keep data safe, your computer will still "harbour" data in, Internet downloaded folder memory, Windows SWAP file, Recycle bin, Start menu run history etc etc and unless you wipe and over write theses areas, along with overwriting free disk space all the data deleted or otherwise will be recoverable.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:52 pm anyone worried would just move everything to the cloud. These days there is no reason to have ANY incriminating files on your hard drive.

Just cause you delete something from your hard dive, its not 100% gone UNLESS; you wipe the whole drive/reformat and than smash the drive so its 100% unusable .

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:36 pm

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:15 pm
Yes, the computer will still harbour data, but it's just random numbers, unless you have a way of decrypting it = the password. Truecrypt offers overwriting of the remaining free disk space during encryption. And the files you already have will necessarily be overwritten in the encryption process.

No its not just random numbers, it is pictures, text files, urls etc. and as mentioned deleted files are usually easily recovered unless successfully overwritten. Granted data stored in TrueCrypt files are unlikely to be recovered so once the data is encrypted its safe. However if you have downloaded the data from the net all your actions are left on the computer and images are still in the internet cache for example. So even if you have re-stored them in an encrypted file, copies from the cache etc are still likely recoverable. One only has to run Encase to retrieve all that data UNLESS you have sanitized your computer by running something like Evidence Eliminator.

There are two issues here:
One is protecting your data from possibly being compromised if the computer is stolen for example. Here encrypting ones whole drive with TrueCrypt is the way to go as no one can get into your machine. Alternatively one could partition the drive and have one encrypted for data and the other free for general use. Of course if the computer is stolen your data is safe but someone would have easy access to all you've done, but you may not be too bothered.

Two is protecting ones data and oneself from being compromised if the computer is seized by the authorities. Which seemed to be the case alluded to by Violet. That is the situation that in Thailand having pornography one ones machine is illegal. So the issue here is making sure that ones machine is clear of incriminating data, however it got there and this can only be done by running a machine sanitation program. Once done programs such as encase will return zero results and your machine will be given "a clean bill of health"

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:36 pm

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:15 pm
Yes, the computer will still harbour data, but it's just random numbers, unless you have a way of decrypting it = the password. Truecrypt offers overwriting of the remaining free disk space during encryption. And the files you already have will necessarily be overwritten in the encryption process.

No its not just random numbers, it is pictures, text files, urls etc. and as mentioned deleted files are usually easily recovered unless successfully overwritten. Granted data stored in TrueCrypt files are unlikely to be recovered so once the data is encrypted its safe. However if you have downloaded the data from the net all your actions are left on the computer and images are still in the internet cache for example. So even if you have re-stored them in an encrypted file, copies from the cache etc are still likely recoverable. One only has to run Encase to retrieve all that data UNLESS you have sanitized your computer by running something like Evidence Eliminator.

There are two issues here:
One is protecting your data from possibly being compromised if the computer is stolen for example. Here encrypting ones whole drive with TrueCrypt is the way to go as no one can get into your machine. Alternatively one could partition the drive and have one encrypted for data and the other free for general use. Of course if the computer is stolen your data is safe but someone would have easy access to all you've done, but you may not be too bothered.

Two is protecting ones data and oneself from being compromised if the computer is seized by the authorities. Which seemed to be the case alluded to by Violet. That is the situation that in Thailand having pornography one ones machine is illegal. So the issue here is making sure that ones machine is clear of incriminating data, however it got there and this can only be done by running a machine sanitation program. Once done programs such as encase will return zero results and your machine will be given "a clean bill of health"

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:04 pm If you want to get rid of data, yes, you'd need to erase everything using the methods you mentioned, if you want to keep the data, you need encryption. The safest is of course to erase it, but what good use is no data at all?

violet wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:52 am is it possible that a person who has never downloaded images/video of a pornographic nature could unwittingly have those items on their device without knowing? e.g. somehow carried / positioned from clicking on links/items on the internet?

username wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:04 pm The safest is of course to erase it, but what good use is no data at all?