Does 1Password Trash securely delete?

DoNotStaple

When I empty the trash in 1Password4 (web store version) does the trash securely delete? Fro instance, in the Mac Finder there is an option to secure delete, but I'm wondering if I empty the trash in the 1Password4 program, does it actually secure delete the information?

Jasper

Hi @DoNotStaple,

The Empty Trash option in OS X simply "unlinks" the trashed files from the filesystem, but does not really delete the file. The freed space is marked as "available", and will be overwritten someday.

The Secure Empty Trash option in OS X truly deletes the trashed files from your hard drive. The trashed files will be overwritten with random data to ensure they cannot be accessed.

But, 1Password doesn't create a separate "file" for each item in your database. All of your 1Password data is stored in a single SQLite database. When you empty the trash in 1Password, the entries of the deleted items will simply be removed from this SQLite database. To be more specific, when the trash is emptied the items that were in the trash become "tombstones". The contents of the items are removed. The item identifier and a "trashed" indicator is all that will be preserved.

Anyway, your deleted items will never leave the SQLite database. And since this SQLite database contains all of your 1Password data, it is obviously encrypted. When an item is deleted from 1Password, it definitely will never leave the app in an unencrypted form. So, since all your 1Password data is encrypted no matter what, the data (including deleted items) is never left on your hard drive in a form that could be accessed by someone without your master password.

But, keep in mind that your 1Password backup files will still include all items that were present when the backup was created, even if they have been deleted from the app since.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. :)

DoNotStaple

Jasper,

Thanks very much for your detailed answer. You guys and gals at 1Password ROCK!

Jasper

You're welcome! Happy to help. :D