Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 8

Obviously, from the privacy and security perspective, this is a good thing. Just don't make mistakes, because if you erase a file using the 35-pass Gutmann method there's no chance of getting it back. But file security is one area where the expert tag sits well. Instead of the usual single, three-pass US DOD and possibly the aforementioned Gutmann methods of erasing, Acronis offers a total of eight options, from a fast delete through to the Bruce Schneier seven-pass method, in which five of the passes use a cryptographically secure pseudo-random sequence. So, while it can't match Webroot's Spy Sweeper when it comes to spyware-scanning performance, we were far more impressed with Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 8 as a neat and effective replacement for a host of separate file privacy utilities.

Author: Davey Winder