Security Delete files [duplicate]

I am looking for a program that I can use to security delete files/folders. I know you can do it via the terminal, but in previous releases there was a program that you could install that was accessible from the right click menu.

Can anyone recommend anything?

Really, the only one I would recommend is Bleachbit because it actually writes over the deleted content instead of just removing the index for the files. This way, the data is nearly impossible to recover. Although, be careful because you won't be able to recover deleted data.

Run the following commands to install Bleachbit:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install bleachbit

From the Bleachbit website:

Delete your private files so completely that "even God can't read them" according to South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy.

Bleachbit runs using a GUI so you don't need to use the command line. Just search for the application and open it up. It's pretty straight forward and there are many options. Again, be careful because you may not be able to recover deleted data.

There are tons of articles if you google "ubuntu help bleachbit" and you can also check out the official website for more information.

The term "secure" is up to interpretation. Whether or not something is secure depends on what risks you are trying to mitigate.

Let's use the example of bleachbit, mentioned in another answer. Since bleachbit overwrites data, it's extremely unlikely to recover any files explicitly erased this way.

However it's still possible that someone would be able to recover information you deleted with bleachbit. Let's say you used bleachbit to securely erase a spreadsheet file with personal and financial information. While that particular file may be unrecoverable, there might be other copies of that file you aren't necessarily aware of, like backup files saved by the software you used to author and edit that file.

If you are trying to secure personal information from the potential risk that someone obtains physical access to your device, it is best to use full disk encryption. Full disk encryption ensures that even if someone gets access to your device, they will not be able to access any data without the decryption information. The best time to set up full disk encryption is during system installation.

There is still the risk that someone could recover files that were deleted before you started using bleachbit or before you started using full disk encryption. That's because typical file deletion and even formatting a whole disk does not actually delete data, but instead marks the space as available. To protect against these risks, you will need to securely erase the entire drive. SSDs usually have a secure erase function which quickly and securely erases the whole disk. HDDs and SSDs without secure erase will need to have all sectors completely overwritten.

The one that I have used in the past and it sounds like you are referencing is: nautilus-wipe

This is very useful and easy to use - sudo apt install nautilus-wipe

I found this very useful - Link