How to permanently delete files on mac without any chance of recovery

If you're exploring ways to how to permanently delete files on Mac, one effective method is to use a script-based multi-pass approach that emulates the shred style of secure deletion. Since macOS doesn't include a native shred command like Linux, you can create scripts that overwrite files multiple times with random data before deleting them, making recovery virtually impossible.

Here's how to permanently delete files on Mac:

1. Script-Based Multi-Pass Overwriting: You write a script that overwrites the target files multiple times with random data. Each pass makes it increasingly difficult to recover the original content. This mimics the behavior of the shred command on Linux.

2. Implementation: The script reads the size of the file, then overwrites it multiple times—say, 3 to 7 passes—with random bytes generated on the fly. After completing all passes, the script deletes the file.

3. Advantages: This approach significantly enhances security for permanently deleting files, especially sensitive data, because it reduces the risk of data recovery using forensic tools.

4. Considerations: While effective, this method can be slow on large files and requires some familiarity with scripting (bash or other shell scripting). You can automate this process by creating a script that accepts files or folders as input and performs multi-pass overwriting before deletion.

Using a script-based multi-pass with shred-style emulation provides a robust way to permanently delete files on Mac. It ensures data is overwritten multiple times, making recovery virtually impossible, and is a good alternative when standard secure delete options are insufficient.

Note: Always test such scripts on non-sensitive data first, and ensure you have backups of important files before running destructive operations.