Automatic, Selective and Secure Deletion of Digital Evidence

Abstract

The secure deletion of sensitive data can improve user privacy in many contexts and, in some extreme circumstances, keeping some information private can determine the life or death of a person. In fact, there are still several countries where freedom of expression is limited by authoritarian regimes, with dissidents being persecuted by their government. Recently, some countries have begun to make an effort to aid these people to communicate in a secure way, thus helping them to gain freedom. In this context, the present work can be a contribution in spreading the free use of Internet and, in general, digital devices. In countries where freedom of expression is persecuted, a dissident who would like to spread (illegal) information by means of the Internet should take into account the need to avoid as many traces as possible of his activity, in order to mislead eventual forensics investigations. In particular, this work introduces a methodology to delete a predetermined data set from a digital device in a secure and fast way, for example, with a single click of the mouse. All the actions required to remove the unwanted evidence can be performed by means of an automation, which is also able to remove traces about its execution and presence on the system. A post-mortem digital forensics analysis of the system will never reveal any information that may be referable to either the deleted data set or automation process.