Shred
shred OPTIONS filename
Common options: -n N Overwrite a file N times. -u Remove the file after you’ve shredded it. -z After shredding a file with random bits (ones and zeros), overwrite the file with only zeros.
So, for example, to shred a file “topsecret.txt” with 26 iterations, and delete it afterwards, and hide the fact that it was shredded, I would run:
shred -u -z -n 26 topsecret.txt
Secure-Delete
The Secure-Delete tools are a particularly useful set of programs that use advanced techniques to permanently delete files. To install the Secure-Delete tools in Ubuntu, run:
apt-get install secure-delete
The Secure-Delete package comes with four commands: srm Secure remove; used for deleting files or directories currently on your hard disk; smem Secure memory wiper; used to wipe traces of data from your computer’s memory (RAM); sfill Secure free space wiper; used to wipe all traces of data from the free space on your disk; sswap Secure swap wiper; used to wipe all traces of data from your swap partition.
Secure delete from Nautilus
- Install the Nautilus Actions Configuration utility
sudo apt-get install nautilus-actions
- Configure the new menu option
Now you should have an option in the Preferences menu called “Nautilus Actions Configuration.” Click the “define new action” button. Give it a name ("Shred").
Next, click the “Command” tab. The command is /usr/bin/shred. The parameters would be:
“-u %M -z -n 7”
Done!