Page 207 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2025

Erase, Don’t Just Delete: How Secure File Wiping Can Stop

Insider Threats

By Neha Sawhney, Marketing Specialist, Stellar Information Technology Pvt. Ltd.

Imagine you have just cleaned out the recycle bin and feel like you have waved a magic wand at those
embarrassing files of yours and you start to think they are gone for good but that is not entirely the case.
Hitting that Delete button on a PC is more like shoving your messy papers under the rug… they are still
there, yet they are just out of sight. In truth, these deleted files normally keep lingering on the drive until
the time someone or something overwrites them and a determined insider (or maybe a snooping
coworker with a forensic toolset) can go ahead and uncover them with a few clicks. It’s a classic bait-
and-switch. When you think the data vanished, it’s really just “sleeping” on the disk. For anyone serious
about security, this is a nerve-wracking illusion. and a reminder that we need to erase, not just delete.

Understanding the Insider Threat

An insider threat originates from individuals within your organization or those you are already familiar
with. This could include current or former employees, contractors, or business partners who possess
legitimate access to systems and data—but misuse that access, intentionally or unintentionally, to
compromise security or violate privacy. In other words, this isn’t a hooded hacker breaking in from the

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2025 Edition 207
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