Whether it’s the NSA, a burglar or someone who rummages through garbage for old hard drives with the intention of extracting data, we can rest assured (or not so much) that there are people out there who are after your data. But how much would you bet that almost everyone who says these things also have a front door on their home, locked when they’re sleeping, and curtains covering their windows for privacy, as well as passwords protecting their email accounts to keep others out? Odds are everyone does these things. There are plenty of users out there who say, “It’s ok, I have nothing to hide,” when issues like these are brought up. The Mac is not yours and needs to be handed over (Apple Store loaner or a Mac that belongs to your work) So, when should you erase data from your Mac? A few common scenarios that warrant a secure wipe of your drive include:Ī hard drive is replaced (think upgrades) After all, securely erasing your data ensures your personal and private information does not end up being found and abused by someone else. How to Securely Erase Data from Your Mac and External DrivesĮveryone needs to securely erase data at some point-even on a Mac.
