When you delete sensitive files from a disk on your computer, the operating system does not erase contents of these files from the disk - it only deletes 'references' on these files from filesystem tables. Contents of the deleted file (or file's body) continue to be stored on the disk and can be easily recovered using any disk tool utility.
Wiping is a term used to describe a process of shredding contents of a file or disk space. It is impossible to restore any data that has been properly wiped.
The BCWipe software is intended to give you a confidence that your deleted files cannot be recovered by an intruder. You can run the BCWipe utility from the Windows Shell (‘My Computer’ window) as well as from a command-line prompt.
BCWipe is a powerful set of utilities which allows users to use US DoD 5200.28-STD standard or Peter Gutmann wiping scheme (read about Peter Gutmann wiping scheme in the “Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid State Memory” article http://www.usenix.org/publications/library/proceedings/sec96/full_papers/gutmann/ ), as well as create and use you own customized wiping scheme to shred sensitive information from storage devices installed on your computer.
Use of BCWipe is quite simple. After installation of the BCWipe utility you will find Wipe Free Space and Delete With Wiping commands in the context menus of the Windows Explorer program. For example, if you wish to delete and wipe group of files, you should select them in ‘My computer’ window, press right mouse button and run the Delete With Wiping command from the appeared context menu.
You should also take into account a problem of so-called Windows Swap File and Hibernation File. Swap File is the system file that supports virtual memory, and when you open some document, the Swap file may be used by the operating system to store a part of the document on a hard disk. The BCWipe system includes an option to wipe Swap File, as well as a tool to encrypt contents of Swap File transparently for the operating system.
Hibernation File supports transition of computer to the hibernation state. At that time system copies all the data stored in RAM memory, including opened sensitive documents, to the Hibernation File. To avoid the security leak you may configure BCWipe to wipe the Hibernation File regularly.
The BCWipe utility is also distributed as a part of the BestCrypt Data Encryption System. BestCrypt supports wide range of operating systems (Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003 Server/XP/XP x64 Edition and Linux) and allows user to keep any form of data (files, letters, pictures, databases) in encrypted form on the hard disk, network disks, removable media, CD-ROM and floppies. BestCrypt provides on-the-fly encryption of data, so that encrypt/decrypt operations are transparent for user.