Every Wednesday, our journalist answers your questions related to digital technology and new technologies. This week, we’re discussing the usefulness of cleaning your PC, restoring the factory settings of an old device, and trying to contact the internet police.
It’s tempting to believe in miracle software that will do your digital cleanup for you. Your caution is commendable, because this market is a jungle.
Some software is legitimate. Some programs are relics of a time when defragmenting your hard drive could actually improve your PC’s overall performance. Those days are long gone.
Others, usually free, are actually disguised adware, or worse. On PCs, be wary of software that promises to speed up your system; Windows and macOS already have very effective maintenance tools.
To clean up your photos on your phone or tablet, you don’t need to install anything. Apple and Google offer built-in options within your device’s photo library to merge duplicates or free up space by transferring your files to your cloud storage.
On iPhone or iPad, simply open the Photos app and scroll down to the “Other” section to find the Duplicates album. On Android, Google’s official Files app offers a similar cleanup function. Always start with these built-in tools: they’re free, effective, and safe for your data.
Given the personal data stored on phones, what procedure should be followed to securely dispose of it when changing devices?
This is a crucial step that is too often overlooked. Our phones have become veritable digital safes!
The security of modern devices (iPhones and Androids) relies on hardware encryption. Your data is mathematically scrambled and can only be read with your code.
The security procedure therefore relies on a single, definitive action: a factory reset. This process destroys the encryption key, making data recovery by the next owner technically impossible.
The procedure is simple. First, make a complete backup. Disconnect your iCloud or Google accounts to disable anti-theft protection. Then go to settings and select the option “Erase All Content and Settings” (iPhone) or “Factory Reset” (Android).
Once you return to the “Hello” or “Welcome” home screen, your device is as clean as the day you took it out of the box. You can sell or recycle it with complete peace of mind.
Is there a police force to arrest hackers and computer scammers? Is it effective? Do these criminals end up in prison?
Your question accurately reflects the sense of impunity that seems to prevail online. The answer is yes: there are highly competent cybercrime units within the Sûreté du Québec and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which collaborate closely with the FBI and Interpol.
Their effectiveness, however, is hampered by a complex geographical reality. The internet has no borders. The police, on the other hand, do.
The majority of hackers operate from foreign states that refuse to cooperate or extradite suspects. Arresting a hacker based in a hostile country is a real diplomatic and legal conundrum.
Spectacular raids sometimes target large international networks, but for everyday fraud targeting ordinary citizens, resources are lacking and investigations rarely lead to success.
This is why justice is so difficult to achieve.Your vigilance remains the best protection against these elusive criminals.