Discover Permanent Eraser

When you normally delete files on the Mac, the operating system is only forgetting where those particular files are placed, while the data still physically remains on the drive. Beginning with Mac OS X 10.3, Apple enhanced its security by introducing the Secure Empty Trash feature, which follows the U.S. DoD pattern of overwriting data seven times. This feature was then later removed in OS X 10.11 El Capitan.

Permanent Eraser provides additional wiping methods such as the 3-pass DoE or 35-pass Gutmann algorithms. This utility overwrites your data multiple times, scrambles the original file name, and truncates the file size to nothing before Permanent Eraser finally unlinks it from the system. Once your data has been erased, it can no longer be read through traditional means.

Permanent Eraser fills in what the Finder forgot! Simply drag a CD-RW or DVD-RW onto Permanent Eraser to erase the disc's contents.

Erase the Trash

Erase Files

Erase Optical Discs

Customize the behavior of Permanent Eraser in the preferences.

Permanent Eraser Preferences

Mac OS 10.4+ users get to make use of the bonus Automator Actions and Finder plug-in built to work with Permanent Eraser. Right-click on items you want to destroy and select Services → Erase, or make use of the Erase Trash, Erase Selected Items, or Erase Free Space Automator Actions.

Learn about the plug-ins

Learn about Automator Actions

Enabling the Erase Service Plug-In

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