Scrub – cleans folders and volumes of potentially leaking sensitive data
Use with caution.
Latest update: More app updates: SearchKey and SearchKeyLite 1.5, and Scrub 1.3
Download page: Downloads
Use with caution.
Latest update: More app updates: SearchKey and SearchKeyLite 1.5, and Scrub 1.3
Download page: Downloads
Scrub clears extended attributes which can show when a file was downloaded, and where from; old versions; turns off Spotlight indexing; clears the QuickLook cache; can even set all file dates to 1970. These greatly limit the forensic footprint of your most sensitive files.
Scrub is designed to strip out a lot of hidden data which could prove damaging if examined by third parties, thereby protecting your privacy. These include:
- extended attributes (xattrs), which often contain download source and time and much more,
- Spotlight metadata, which opens the contents of documents to search,
- versions, which may contain material which was later removed or redacted from a document,
- the QuickLook cache (High Sierra only), which could readily show previews of images and other files you have used,
- system logs, which can contain entries revealing your Mac’s activities over previous days,
- datestamps on files, which reveal when a document was created and last modified.
Powerful, so please read the docs carefully before use.
Removing those is a serious and committing action. By definition, you can’t have an Undo, and used inappropriately, Scrub can cause damage and lose data.