Recycle Bins, Web Caches, and App Data

UMBC uses a product on University-owned desktops and laptops that regularly scans the hard drive for files containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), such as Social Security Numbers (SSNs). Several federal and state laws govern the handling of PII, and to ensure the University does not have an accidental release this type of data should not remain on a system any longer than necessary.

If you have received a notice of these records in files on your computer, there is a good chance that some of the files are in locations that you haven’t considered. These locations should be cleaned out in addition to any specific files mentioned in the notice. This article has references to help you with that clean-up.

Recycle Bin or Trash

Putting a file in the Recycle Bin or Trash doesn’t fully delete it. It actually moves the file to another folder with other files you want to get rid of so that they can all be deleted conveniently later. These files are still on the hard drive and can be easily retrieved or restored to their original locations. If you want to empty the Recycle Bin or Trash, follow the instructions here: 

• On Windows: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/empty-the-recycle-bin-in-windows-10-d4c8f8ef-a12e-8250-b0cf-2311960a31f9

• On Mac OS X: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/delete-files-and-folders-on-mac-mchlp1093/mac

Downloads

When you download a file from a website, it will almost always go into the Downloads folder. If you download a file you want to keep, it’s a good idea to move it to another folder. The Downloads directory, like the Recycle Bin or Trash, should only be used temporarily. Delete files you have downloaded but no longer need. Drag-and-drop them in the Recycle Bin or Trash, which you should then empty.

Web Cache

Once a web browser like Firefox, Safari, or Chrome loads a page, it will usually store part or all of that page temporarily so that it can be re-displayed quickly if the user wants to see it again.  Browsers used to access PII often leave behind data in the web cache, for loading quickly should the data need to be accessed again. Different web browsers handle caching and cache-cleaning in different ways. DoIT offers instructions for cleaning up after the most common browsers:

• https://umbc.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=30736442

Temporary Files (Windows - AppData Directories)

By default, you can’t even find the AppData folder in File Explorer. Simply put, it’s a scratch space where programs can stash any information they might need in the near or distant future. What goes in there depends on which program is using it. Several programs store partial or complete copies of their working data in these files. Sometimes the programs don’t clean up after themselves. DoIT frequently detects PII under the AppData folder on computers used to access PII as part of normal business practices.

Here is a reference that describes this space, and how to clean it:

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/tips-to-free-up-drive-space-on-your-pc-4d97fc4a-0175-8d49-ac2f-bcf27de46d34 (See the topic “Use Disk Cleanup”)