Where Deleted Files Actually Go: The Truth About Data Recovery and Secure Deletion
In 2018, a second-hand study from a university in the United Kingdom made headlines after researchers purchased 200 used hard drives from eBay and other online marketplaces. Out of 200 drives, they found that 59% still contained recoverable data—including personal photographs, financial records, and in one case, a complete database of a company’s payroll system. The previous owners had formatted these drives. Some had even run “secure erase” tools. Yet the data remained. ...