{"id":94,"date":"2012-04-07T00:30:54","date_gmt":"2012-04-07T00:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ayoub-associates.com\/blog\/?p=94"},"modified":"2012-07-31T04:46:37","modified_gmt":"2012-07-31T04:46:37","slug":"how-to-safely-delete-or-save-tax-documents-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ayoub-associates.com\/blog\/how-to-safely-delete-or-save-tax-documents-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Safely Delete or Save Tax Documents Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>It’s tax time, which means millions of Americans are probably in the midst
\nof collecting the many documents needed to prepare their returns.<\/p>\n

When I was going through this exercise last week, I had to download a 1099
\nform from my bank’s Web site, which naturally included all sorts of sensitive
\ninformation. So how do you virtually shred<\/a>\u00a0these documents after you are done with them? Or how would you securely save a
\nsensitive document like a completed tax return?<\/p>\n

According to several computer security experts, there are several approaches
\nto consider:<\/p>\n

If you want to delete the files:<\/em><\/p>\n

Mac users have access to a nifty built-in feature that acts as a virtual
\nshredder. It’s called “secure empty trash,” which overwrites the data
\nyou want to delete, making it essentially impossible to recover, said Rich
\nMogull, an analyst and chief executive officer of Securosis, an independent
\nsecurity research and advisory firm. (Go into the Finder menu on the top of the
\nscreen, and select “Secure Empty Trash.”) He said there was still
\nsome risk if the file had been saved on Time Machine <\/a>– the Mac’s backup
\nsystem – but he said the odds were low that an attacker would look there.<\/p>\n

“To be honest, the odds of being exploited on a Mac are really low
\nthese days, especially if you’ve upgraded to Lion,” he added, referring to
\none of the Mac’s newer operating systems.<\/p>\n

Windows-based computers do not have an equivalent function, but Mr. Mogull
\nsaid that “emptying the recycle bin does a reasonable job unless the
\nattacker is motivated to hunt around.”<\/p>\n

But that does not delete the data; it just allows it to be overwritten over
\ntime, which can take years. So if you want to take things a step further and
\noverwrite your files, some experts recommended considering file shredding
\nsoftware. (I found some reviews on CNET<\/a>.)
\n“It looks at the things you have deleted and it writes over them,”
\nsaid Nikki Junker, a victim adviser at the Identity Theft Resource Center.
\n“Even if they brought in the forensics team, it would be difficult to pull
\nup that information.”<\/p>\n

Many people may simply delete their files and then do a final scrubbing
\nbefore getting rid of their computers. “When you dispose of the computer
\nor donate it, at that point, you want to use specialized software to wipe your
\nhard drive clean,” said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy at
\nthe Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, though he cautioned against
\nwaiting to delete your files securely if you are working on a laptop that you
\ntravel with. He said a number of products, known as disk wiping utilities or
\ndisk erasers, would do the job.<\/p>\n

If you want to save the files:<\/em><\/p>\n

One option is to save the files using an external hard drive or a smaller
\nUSB thumb drive. You then have to decide how you want to store the drive
\nsecurely. “Do you want to put a password on it?” Ms. Junker asked.
\n“Do you put it in the safety deposit box or the safe in your house?”<\/p>\n

You can also store your documents “in the cloud” – think Mozy or Carbonite<\/a> – but you have to be
\ncomfortable with the company’s security. “You want to go to a reputable
\ncompany that really has something to lose if they are breached,” she said.<\/p>\n

It’s also possible that if someone breaks into your computer, he or she may
\nbe able to recover those files, Mr. Mogull said, but the odds are really low.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Apple<\/a>\u00a0and Microsoft<\/a>\u00a0have encryption services built into their operating systems. Mac users can
\ncreate a password-protected “encrypted disk image<\/a>” – think of it as a secure storage container for a group of
\nfiles (for instance, the files created by tax software). Alternatively, you can
\ncreate a password-protected PDF file, which encrypts a single document. (When
\nyou click the “Save as PDF” button, there is a “Security
\nOptions” button that lets you set a password requirement for various
\nfunctions, including opening and printing the document.)<\/p>\n

Windows 7, meanwhile, has a feature called “BitLocker” that will
\nencrypt an entire drive,<\/a> while its “Encrypting File System<\/a>” will encrypt individual files.<\/p>\n

More general tips: <\/em><\/p>\n

Before doing taxes online, update all of your software to the latest
\nversion, since it often will include security patches. And if you use antivirus
\nsoftware, update that as well. And be sure your computer is password protected.<\/p>\n

Finally, do not leave financial documents, or credit card or Social Security
\nnumbers, in your e-mail. “If someone compromises your account, they may
\nlook in there,” Mr. Mogull said. “You should delete those sorts of
\nmessages, then go into your deleted items folder and delete them from
\nthere.”<\/p>\n

How do you save and delete tax documents with sensitive information? Please
\ndrop your thoughts in the comment section below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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