This makes erasing these devices more complicated. However this does not apply to flash-memory based devices such as typical USB memory sticks.įlash memory devices use a concept known as wear-levelling, this means that some areas of storage will be rotated out of use and will not normally be accessible when using normal filesystem operations like writing a file. It is always a mistake to store personal data on the property of someone who you do not (or in future might not) wish to have access to your personal data.Ī note on overwriting USB devices that use Flash memory.įormatting any kind of storage device does not completely destroy data, it normally just recreates the filesystem structures without affecting much of the data contents.įor a hard disk, overwriting every data sector once with zeroes (or any character/octet) is sufficient to erase data. I have forgotten the password … unrecognised deviceĬrush it to small particles using a large hammer then buy your employer a new one (or ask them to deduct the replacement cost from your wages). How do I remove my personal data in the encrypted thumb drive?.

Encrypted usb flash drive