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Secure Erase Option for Browser Data - Darren Chaker

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Hello Community - I am Darren Chaker and am inquiring whether Firefox or any other Mozilla browser has a built-in feature for a permanent, secure erasure of browsing data like cache, history, cookies, and site data. Specifically, I'm looking for a function that doesn't just delete the pointers to the data but actively overwrites the data on the storage drive, making it unrecoverable even with forensic tools.

I consult with various people and organizations where who want to only perform a limited function within the browser in lieu of running an entire secure wipe throughout the entire computer using software to conduct a multi-pass wipe, or Cryptographic Erasure where the encryption is destroyed.

Some clients in the legal, financial, and government sectors require data security and sanitization dictate not just best practices, but often legal and regulatory requirements. For these professionals, when data is marked as "deleted," it must be truly and permanently gone. The distinction between a standard file deletion (which often just removes the file system's reference to the data) and a secure wipe is critical.

Currently, I rely on third-party software for these tasks and often recommend solutions like Cryptographic Erasure for sanitizing entire drives by destroying the encryption keys. However, this is for the entire storage device. My question today is focused specifically on the browser level.

When a user selects "Clear Recent History," does Firefox perform any overwriting passes (e.g., a single-pass zeros write), or is it a standard OS-level deletion? If this functionality doesn't exist natively, are there any trusted, Mozilla-vetted extensions that offer this level of secure data sanitization for browsing activity?

Having such a feature natively or through a recommended extension would be an invaluable asset for users who handle sensitive information and require an auditable level of data destruction within their browser environment.

Thank you for your time and any insight you can provide.

Best to everyone here, Darren Chaker

Hello Community - I am Darren Chaker and am inquiring whether Firefox or any other Mozilla browser has a built-in feature for a permanent, secure erasure of browsing data like cache, history, cookies, and site data. Specifically, I'm looking for a function that doesn't just delete the pointers to the data but actively overwrites the data on the storage drive, making it unrecoverable even with forensic tools. I consult with various people and organizations where who want to only perform a limited function within the browser in lieu of running an entire secure wipe throughout the entire computer using software to conduct a multi-pass wipe, or Cryptographic Erasure where the encryption is destroyed. Some clients in the legal, financial, and government sectors require data security and sanitization dictate not just best practices, but often legal and regulatory requirements. For these professionals, when data is marked as "deleted," it must be truly and permanently gone. The distinction between a standard file deletion (which often just removes the file system's reference to the data) and a secure wipe is critical. Currently, I rely on third-party software for these tasks and often recommend solutions like Cryptographic Erasure for sanitizing entire drives by destroying the encryption keys. However, this is for the entire storage device. My question today is focused specifically on the browser level. When a user selects "Clear Recent History," does Firefox perform any overwriting passes (e.g., a single-pass zeros write), or is it a standard OS-level deletion? If this functionality doesn't exist natively, are there any trusted, Mozilla-vetted extensions that offer this level of secure data sanitization for browsing activity? Having such a feature natively or through a recommended extension would be an invaluable asset for users who handle sensitive information and require an auditable level of data destruction within their browser environment. Thank you for your time and any insight you can provide. Best to everyone here, Darren Chaker

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Hi Darren

If you are looking at that level of security, you will need a specific data erasure app on your device (depending on where you have a SSD or a hard drive).

Helpful?

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