SSD secure file deletion?

[Joel64]

On Windows I used BCWipe for secure deletion, and Recuva to recover any files that were deleted by mistake.

On researching similar tools for Linux, I found some info that said files on SSDs can't really be securely wiped, due to how SSDs work.

So... if I were to open a file in, say, Kate, and remove the content, and fill that file in with random text (or leave it blank?) - would that get rid of the original content for good?

Or, if there is a way to wipe files on an SSD, please point me in the right direction. Thanks!

[Qqmike]

After 30 minutes of reading, it appears that you are posing a difficult problem: wiping a single file on an SSD.
There are even possible issues with wiping that entire SSD, but there are options:

How to Securely Erase an SSD or HDD Before Selling It or Your PC
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/...-or-hard-drive

I read a few technical articles, as you have done. The issue seems to be HOW exactly SSDs work.

if I were to open a file in, say, Kate, and remove the content, and fill that file in with random text (or leave it blank?) - would that get rid of the original content for good?

Based on what little I have read, I'd say No to that -- at the every least, I wouldn't trust it. You don't know how/where the system -- the SSD -- would put that one single (same) file -- does it always occupy the exact same bits on the SSD? or does the SSD move things around for various optimization/maintenance considerations?

My short answer to your question at this point (in my reading) would be: I don't know.

How would I wipe the entire SSD? By using dd. Would that work perfectly? My answer: I don't know.

Now that article does suggest some ways to wipe the *entire* SSD, even by using UEFI firmware options (of secure deletion).
But to wipe a single same file that you are working on? It seems you can't really do that.
(You might be able to securely wipe the unused part of a partition, as you would using dd tricks, but again, the SSD issue may be untested.)

Let's see what others come up with.

[Joel64]

After 30 minutes of reading, it appears that you are posing a difficult problem: wiping a single file on an SSD. <snip>

Thanks for that great input. During my research I realized that I'd been wiping files on my SSD hard drive with Windows for years, and didn't know that it was basically pointless, LOL. Live and learn!

[Qqmike]

This is old, but updated 6 years ago, and in any case, it gives some intuitive insight to the issue of how SSDs work (or worked back then). Looks like there may be white papers on this, too, at, say Samsung and probably elsewhere.

https://superuser.com/questions/22238/how-to-securely-delete-files-stored-on-a-ssd