═══ 1. Introduction ═══ Data Shield Data Shield is the latest addition to the PillarSoft line of software solutions for OS/2. Data Shield provides secure deletion of all your sensitive data. It is important to know that merely deleting data does not actually remove the information from your hard drive. It can still be recovered and your sensitive data may be compromised. Did you know? Data deleted from your system may still exist on your drive and can be recovered and reused? Even a quick format to a drive that is being resold does not remove all data and the buyer could recover information that may be sensitive to your situation. Was your financial information on that drive or some important client database? An outsider can retrieve that information quite easily. Data Shield offers to overwrite selected data before deletion so prying eyes will not see what you don't want them to see. It offers a choice of overwriting X number of times before deletion or delete to DOD specification. Data Shield will handle all freespace on a drive, a complete drive, TMP & TEMP directories, \DELETE directories, individual files, individual directories, directory trees, as well as cleanup of the Netscape cache and it's history trails. As usual, with most PillarSoft applications, much of Data Shield's work is point and click, saving you the drudgery of locating your "TMP" directory or "Netscape.hst", for example, manually. As much work as possible is ferreted out by Data Shield automatically when the user asks for it. ═══ 2. General help ═══ General help What follows is a general listing of each "page" of Data Shield and an explanation of it's selections. WorkList Drives Directories Files Other Method ═══ 2.1. WorkList ═══ The WorkList page The WorkList displays all selections that have been made from the program that are ready to be executed. It is split into two different worklist pages. A "Standard" page and a "Secure" page. Any item on either page may be removed from the WorkList by highlighting and pressing the "Delete" key on the keyboard. o The "Standard" page lists all actions that will receive a standard deletion (without overwriting and security) or automatic editing. The only options available for the "Standard" delete are listed on the Other page. o The "Secure" page lists all actions that will receive a secure deletion package or automatic editing. The only exception is when Data Shield is editing an existing file as in the case of the Netscape "Go to" or "Location" field erasure. Always review the worklist to be sure that all work to be carried out is exactly as you have planned. When you are satisfied that the listings are correct and desireable you may click the "Begin processing worklists" button. The secure delete method will always be equal to the last selection of method settings made by the user. ═══ 2.2. Drives ═══ The Drives page The Drives page allows the user to work with information pertaining only to the currently selected drive. The drive selection is made from the "Drives" combobox at the top of the page. Group boxes on this page allow the user to: Select extents Select method After selecting the extents and method for these operations the user must click the "Continue" button to add these selections to the WorkList. ═══ 2.2.1. Select extents ═══ Select extents The "Select extents" choices on the Drives page apply only to the drive that is currently selected from the Drives combobox listing at the top of the page. Here are the choices provided: o Clean and delete TMP & TEMP - will find any TMP or TEMP directories on the current drive only and securely delete their contents according to your method selection. o Clean and delete "/DELETE" - will find any /DELETE directories on the root of current drive only and securely delete it's contents according to your method selection. o Clean and delete all FreeSpace - will find all FreeSpace remaining on the current drive only and securely delete it so no information can be recovered from it. This effectively overwrites all previously deleted files. Depending on the size of the FreeSpace available and the method chosen, this can be a lengthy process. o Clean and delete this drive (complete) - will overwrite and delete everything on the current drive only and securely delete it so no information can be recovered from it. This effectively overwrites all previously deleted files as well as existing files. Depending on the size of the drive and the method chosen, this can be a lengthy process. Warning! ═══ 2.2.2. Select method ═══ Select Method The "Select method" choices are updated each time there is a change to them. Only the last selection is used for any secure delete action that takes place following it. Here are the choices provided: o Standard overwrite - will overwrite each selection of the WorkList with null chars (0x00) before deletion. The user may choose to overwrite the selection several times before deletion by adjusting the "Passes" spin button. o DOD - will overwrite each selection of the WorkList with one pass of 0's, four passes of 1's and one pass with a random character before final deletion. The "Passes" spin button pertains only to the "Standard overwrite" selection as mentioned above. ═══ 2.3. Directories ═══ Directories The directories page allow the user to select any directory on the system and securely remove it's contents. The directory listings are controlled by the Drives combobox at the top of the page. To remove a directories contents (or a directory tree) you must: o Select the drive it is located on in the Drives combobox at the top of the page o Browse through the directory structure to locate and highlight it. o Decide whether you want a "Recursive" delete. (Recursive - Delete all directory contents and all directories beneath it effectively removing the complete directory tree) o Click the "Continue" button to verify or select the method of deletion. ═══ 2.4. Files ═══ Files The Files page shows three buttons and a listbox. They are: o Browse - Allows the user to select a file to operate on through the use of a file dialog. Once selected the file appears in the listbox and the user may continue to make selections. o Filtered - Allows the user to enter a group of files to operate on according to specification. ie: C:\OS2\Bitmaps\*.jpg Once selected the filter information appears in the listbox and the user may continue to make selections or add filters. o Continue - Sends the contents of the listbox to the WorkList window and the user to the method window to verify the deletion method to be used. ═══ 2.5. Other ═══ Other There are three sections to this page. The System & Temp directories choices, the Netscape choices and the deletion type. More information on the System & Temp directories. More information on the Netscape choices. Deletion Type Because some of the selections on this page may not be sensitive information to the user, there is a choice to delete information in one of two ways. The "Standard" delete (as opposed to the "Standard" overwrite) or "Secure" delete. "Standard" deletion without the overwrite is only available for choices on this page. They are: o TMP & TEMP directories (wherever they reside) o "/DELETE" directories on all local drives o Netscape browser caches o Netscape history files o Editing of Netscapes "Go To" or "Location" drop down listbox Data Shield will search for information specific to each of Netscape versions 2.02, 4.04 and 4.61 and adjust it's work according to the version it is operating on. ═══ 2.5.1. System & Temp directories ═══ System & Temp directories The TMP & TEMP directories choice will include these directories as culled from the environment settings of the system and do not depend on a drive choice. It is possible to remove either of these from the WorkList before beginning to process the listing.They will be located and operated on wherever they reside on the system. The "/DELETE" directories choice will include these directories as culled from each local drive and do not depend on a drive choice. It is possible to remove any of these from the WorkList before beginning to process the listing. They will be located and operated on wherever they reside on the system. ═══ 2.5.2. Netscape security ═══ Netscape Security Data Shield will search for information specific to each of Netscape versions 2.02, 4.04 and 4.61 and adjust it's work according to the version it is operating on. It will find the cache of each version, the history file and the "Location" drop down box information if it is in it's standard location for each version. Selected parts or versions can be excluded from the WorkList by removing them from the listing. You may chose to do a Standard delete or a Secure delete on these items. In the case of some items, it is a matter of editing the "ini" file or a "js" file and as such, these files are NOT deleted but the material is removed from them. ═══ 3. Ordering ═══ Ordering Data Shield is available from the good people at BMT Micro. BMT is found on the web at http://www.bmtmicro.com ═══ 4. Support ═══ Support Email support: support@pillarsoft.net On the web: http://www.pillarsoft.net ═══ 5. Warnings and Tips ═══ Warnings and Tips Warning: At the time of this writing, we have not tested overwriting FreeSpace or a complete drive on a drive greater than 2 gigs in size. Please procede with extreme caution and please do not attempt any work on a large drive containing important information. You may contact us to see if the testing is complete before attemping this. Warning: It is possible when cleaning a drive or directory etc. that a file may be in use and it will be met with varying success. It may not be possible to overwrite or delete it until the user has stopped running a program that is using it or has rebooted.