A breakthrough in storage technology offers the possibility of secure data recovery even if hackers compromise your computer.
This new system allows you to recover deleted files for up to 126 days following a cyberattack.
When hackers infiltrate your computer, one of their initial actions is to delete or lock your files and then disappear. By the time you notice something is off, the damage is often irreversible. A researcher from Florida International University has discovered a method to change this, integrating the solution directly into your storage drive.
Understanding the fate of your deleted files
When you delete a file, it doesn’t vanish instantly. Instead, it lingers in a kind of digital limbo, existing in fragments on your drive until it is permanently erased to reclaim space.
If a hacker has encrypted or deleted your data, you could potentially retrieve those files before they are lost forever. However, modern SSDs, which are found in most laptops and computers today, inefficiently manage this storage space.
When the drive requires more space, it deletes data based solely on efficiency, without considering how recently files were deleted. Consequently, files removed during a ransomware attack might be wiped out first, while older unnecessary files from weeks prior may remain.
Transforming your SSD into a cybersecurity asset
The system organizes deleted data by age, ensuring that the oldest files are removed first while the most recently deleted files are safeguarded for as long as possible. This approach extends the recovery timeframe for deleted data to 126 days, enhancing data protection by at least 60% with little effect on drive speed.
Since the storage drive functions independently from your operating system, it continues to protect your data even after hackers gain full control of your software. Discussions with industry partners are currently underway to bring this technology to the market.
If this research prompts you to consider the activities of your storage drive, you might also be interested in how websites can track your browsing behavior through your hard drive.
Manisha Priyadarshini is a technology and entertainment writer with over nine years of editorial experience.
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A breakthrough in storage technology offers the possibility of secure data recovery even if hackers compromise your computer.
A storage-focused cybersecurity system enables the recovery of deleted data for up to 126 days while maintaining minimal effect on drive performance.
