PS: This review is done by one of our Forum Members Jeremy. Thanks to him.

Overview (Publisher Description)

ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional in an award-wining solution for secure deletion of sensitive data. ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional is a state-of-the-art and professional tool that has won numerous awards and that allows for secure deletion of data from hard drives and external data storage devices.

This user-friendly solution, which runs under Microsoft Windows, enables users to efficiently delete their data in such a way as to preclude reconstruction, even by government agencies.

Features:

  • Secure data deletion based on government approved and military data security standards up to the confidential, secret and top secret security standard levels.
  • Deletes confidential data from hard drives, solid state drive, memory sticks, usb sticks, flash drives, CompactFlash, Secure Digital (SD) card, memory cards, MMC, xD, MicroDrive, etc.
  • Detailed deletion log provides evidence of deletion
  • Integration of the powerful ProtectStarâ„¢ Secure Deletion Algorithm© allows for fail-safe data security
  • Secure deletion of free storage space, as well as the Windows recycling bin, Internet cache, cookies, temporary system folders, etc.
  • Allows for secure cutting and pasting of files and directories
  • Fully integrated into the Windows Explorer context menu
  • System partitions and individual system drives can be deleted securely in offline mode without a boot medium
  • Compatible with Solid State Drives (SSD)
  • Supports FAT, FAT32 and NTFS
  • Supports IDE/ATA, SCSI, USB, SATA, SAS, RAID, FirewireFirewire

Now let’s talk about the user Interface.

The user interface is intuitive, well arranged, and easy to navigate. All of the available actions of the program are arranged neatly on the left side of the main program’s window. You can simply click the desired function you wish to execute and it will open up a new window with the options available to that specific function. At the bottom of the program’s main window, you have buttons to configure Options, Update, view your License Details, Support, Info, and Help.

Now we’ll take a detailed look at the functions available and what they do.

Erase Files & Folders

The first function available on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Erase Files and Folders.  When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main windows and it gives you the ability to add files and folders for secure deletion.

Erase Free Space

 The second function on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Erase Free Space. When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main window. It gives detailed lists of your Storage Disk Devices, as well as the drive letter for each Storage Disk Device, Device Path, Drive Capacity, Free Space on each Drive, and percentage of free space on each Drive. From this option, you can select the drive you wish to erase remnants in the free space of the selected Drive.

Erase Temporary Files

The third function on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Erase Temporary Files. When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main window. From here, you can select Temporary files for shredding including Temporary Files, Recycle Bin, and Windows Paging Files.

Erase Internet Files

 The fourth function on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Erase Internet Files. When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main window. From here, you can select Temporary Internet files for shredding including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari.

Move Files Securely

 The fifth function on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Securely Move Files. When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main window. From here, you can select to Add Files or to Add Folders to securely move.

Erase Partitions

The sixth function on the left side of the program’s main window is the ability to Erase Partitions. When you click on this option, it opens a new panel on the right side of the main window. It gives detailed lists of your Storage Disk Devices, as well as the drive letter for each Storage Disk Device, Device Path, Drive Capacity, Free Space on each Drive, and percentage of free space on each Drive. From this option, System partitions and individual system drives can be deleted securely in offline mode without a boot medium. It is also compatible with Solid State Drives (SSD).

Now let’s talk about options.

In the options menu, there are a number of options you can customize to your personal preference.

Options include:

  • Protecting your configuration with a password
  • Language Preference
  • Default Shredding Method
  • Report Format
  • Reports Folder
  • Automatically save shredding reports
  • Show signature field in shredding reports
  • Silent mode
  • Export and Import your Configuration File
  • Network Configuration
  • How often to check for updates

Now let’s go a little more in-depth about the secure shredding methods used in ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 and how they work.

We’ll focus on the secure erasing methods in ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional.

  • 50 Cycles: ProtectStar Secure Deletion Algorithm

At first, all data will be overwritten for two times with a random value, afterwards with their complements, and finally again with the random value from the first pass. After this all data will be overwritten for three times using the Department of Defense (DoD) 5220.22-M (E) standard afterwards with the random values, and finally again with the DoD 5220.22-M (E) standard. At the end all data will be overwritten with the method from Peter Gutmann for 35-times by defined rules and another three defined rules from ProtectStar, Inc.

  • 35 Cycles: Gutmann Method

Works by writing a series of 35 random patterns over the region to be erased.

  • 8 Cycles: German BSI / VS-ITR Standard (TL-03423)

In March 2010 the German Federal office for IT Security (BSI) published a new technical BSI Guideline for “Requirements to overwrite memory media TL-03423). The method is similar to VSITR standard for magnetic storage media. In total the new algorithm has 8 cycles, which has to be worked through in chronological order. Includes one cycle of verification.

  • 7 Cycles: DoD 5220.22-M ECE

The method is based on the January 1995 ‘National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual’ by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). In this seven cycle variation (DoD 5220.22-M ECE), data is first overwritten three times with DoD 5220.22-M (E) Standards, then with a specific random value, and finally once again with DoD 5220.22-M (E).

  • 5 Cycles: German method BSI-2011 (BSI-2011-VS)

The German Federal office for IT Security (BSI) describes in the technical BSI guideline for ‘Requirements to overwrite memory media’ from November 2010 the modern the modern method BSI-2011. This clause includes 5 steps, which have to be implemented in sequential order.

  • 4 Cycles: DoD 5220.22-M E for SSD

This method is specially developed for SSD (Solid State Drive) and flash memory, based on the U.S. Department of Defense’s standard DoD 5220.22-M E. It will overwrite a file four times.

  • 3 Cycles: HMG Infosec Standard Nr.5, enhanced

The HMG Infosec Standard No 5 – enhanced level is approved to wipe UK Government Top Secret data and has also been approved by NATO. The algorithm is a three pass overwriting algorithm: first pass – with zeros (0), second and third passes with its compliment and random values (with last pass verification).

  • 3 Cycles: US Army AR380-19

AR380-19 is the data shredding algorithm specified and published by the U.S. Army. The algorithm is a three pass overwriting algorithm: first pass – with random bytes, second and third passes with certain bytes and with its compliment (with last pass verification).

  • 3 Cycles: DoD 5220.22-M E

The method for low security but for high execution speed is based on the January 1995 ‘National Industry Security Program Operating Manual’ from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD 5220.22-M). The variation (DoD 5220.22-M E) offers 3 cycles in which the data are overwritten with first a set value, then its compliment, and then a random value.

  • 1 Cycle: Overwriting with 0xFF for SSD

This method is specially developed for SSD (Solid State Drive) and flash memory. It offers one cycle which data are overwritten by the pattern “0xFF”.

  • 1 Cycle: Overwrite with random values

This method for the lowest security but for very high execution on speed, offers only one cycle which data are overwritten with random values.

 So as you can see, ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional has plenty of options and shredding methods to securely erase your data.

Here is a summary of ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional Features:

  • Secure erase of files, folders and partitions
  • Secure cutting and pasting of files and directories
  • Secure erase of external devices
  • Smart secure erase wizard
  • Secure erase of temporary Windows files
  • Secure erase of temporary internet files
  • Advanced Deletion logs
  • Preinstalled secure erasing methods like DoD 5220.22-M, HMG Infosec No.5, German BSI-2011-VS, US Army AR380-19 and more.
  • Additional secure erasing methods like DoD 5220.22-M ECE, Peter Gutmann
  • Special secure wiping algorithms for Solid State Drives (SSD) and flash memory
  • ProtectStar Secure Deletion Algorithm
  • 1 year technical Support
  • 11 Erasing methods in total

Conclusion

I am extremely pleased with ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional.  With plenty of options, a multitude of secure erasing methods, easy to use interface, context menu secure erasing (one of my favorite features), detailed reports, more than one hundred improvements in comparison to version 2.5, a multitude of awards and recognitions, and quality, usability and performance, ProtectStar Data Shredder 3 Professional in my opinion is one of, if not, the best Secure Data Shredding Program available. I highly recommend it to anyone needing to securely erase data.

For more information or to download a trial or to purchase this great program, please visit ProtectStar’s official website

Giveaway

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