PrivacyScan for Mac

PrivacyScan for Mac scans known locations in supported apps and securely disposes of sensitive information that can compromise your privacy. This premium product features file shredding with up to 35 passes and has built-in support for a fair number of Apple, as well as third-party apps. While this app proves speedy and easy to use, it won't completely protect you since no cleaning actions are taken on apps that are not explicitly supported.

When launched for the first time, PrivacyScan for Mac presents you with a setup assistant that walks you through choosing a security level and configuring which types of information should be deleted. The main interface is very minimalistic and to the point. Two modes for deletion are available, the system default, and a secure one in which the deleted data is overwritten up to 35 times. During testing we were asked to close the apps that were to be cleaned. It took us about a second to scan Preview, Finder, and QuickTime and another eight seconds to clean them. The seven-pass shredder on Safari took 14 seconds.

If you're concerned about leaving potentially revealing information on your hard drive, a tool like PrivacyScan for Mac can calm your fears. While the app runs well and performs as expected, its limited app support means that not all sensitive information on your Mac will be removed. Still, for security enthusiasts it's a good to have app.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of PrivacyScan for Mac 1.5.