Is Recuva Safe?

In this article, we provide an unbiased analysis of Recuva, with a view on its safety for users who seek data recovery solutions. We evaluate its reliability, potential for malware, and privacy policies to determine if Recuva, developed by Piriform and now a part of Gen Digital Inc., is secure, virus-free, and serves as a legitimate tool to recover lost or deleted files.

What is Recuva?

Recuva is a data recovery tool developed by Piriform. Piriform, a well-established software company, became known for creating tools that improve the performance and security of computers. Among their most recognized products is CCleaner, a system optimization tool that has gained significant global trust. In recent years, Piriform has joined Gen Digital Inc., which brought together a family of trusted consumer brands dedicated to improving computers' safety and usability.

Piriform's acquisition by Gen Digital Inc., a leader in cyber security, has expanded the reach and developmental capabilities of its products. With the resources from this partnership, Piriform is working to improve the functionality of its products, particularly Recuva.

Designed for the Windows environment, Recuva performs well within this system. The application features a simple interface, which makes it easy for even non-technical users to navigate the data recovery process. However, Recuva is not a unique product, and its recovery effectiveness varies significantly depending on factors such as the extent of data loss, the type of storage device, and other conditions.

Gen Digital Inc. Policies Review

We examined Gen Digital Inc.'s privacy policies, the parent company of Piriform, which develops Recuva. As the protection of user data and adherence to privacy laws directly impact the legitimacy and safety of software, it is important to know the policies that govern how Gen Digital Inc. manages user information. This review aims to assess whether these practices align with industry standards for safety and trustworthiness.

What Data Is Collected by Gen Group?

Gen Digital Inc. collects various types of personal data through Recuva. This includes the scope of information collection and its potential impact on user privacy. The collected data type is important to determining Recuva's security and legitimacy as a data recovery tool.

Types of data collected:

• Direct identifiers. This includes names, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, and online identifiers such as IP addresses and social media accounts.
• Billing information. When users purchase Recuva, they provide billing details such as name, email address, and a masked credit card number. Although this data often passes through third-party service providers, Gen Digital Inc. retains a subset for business records.
• Product and device data. This category covers information about the user's device and how they interact with Recuva. It includes device type, operating system, hardware specifics, and product usage details such as application events and error logs.

Gen Digital Inc. collects personal data primarily to improve the provision of services to accurately identify users and provide seamless payment processes. With this data, customer support improves service because they have the necessary details to address user queries and troubleshoot issues efficiently. Through these methods, Gen Digital Inc. tries to maintain a decent level of customer service.

Gen Digital Inc. clearly outlines the data they collect from users and their devices, as well as how this information is used. Their transparency makes it evident that the data collection is handled securely and in compliance with legal regulations.

How Gen Digital Inc. Stores and Protects Your Personal Data

Gen Digital Inc. has implemented administrative, technical, and physical protections to secure personal data collected through Recuva, aiming to maintain user trust and comply with global data protection standards.

• Access Control: Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel who require it for specific job functions, such as technical support or user account management. The company enforces confidentiality obligations on employees and third-party contractors.
• Technical Security Measures: Stored personal data is safeguarded using multiple layers of security measures. These include firewall protections, antivirus and anti-malware software, and regular updates to address emerging threats.
• Physical Security: Physical access to data storage facilities is controlled. Encrypted VPNs are required for accessing user information over the Internet, except for email and drive access, which require user authentication.

Gen Digital Inc. stores collected data on both in-house and third-party servers located in various jurisdictions. The company utilizes the Google Cloud Platform for some data storage needs and indicates that the data originates from the European Economic Area (EEA). Through these measures, Gen Digital Inc. seeks to protect user data from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, handling personal information safely and lawfully.

Recuva Product Policy

Gen Digital Inc. has specific policies related to Recuva that detail data processing practices and outline user rights. These policies help users assess the legitimacy and safety of Recuva as a data recovery solution.

While users use Recuva, Gen Digital Inc. collects and processes Service and Device Data to improve service provision and product functionality. This data includes:

• IP addresses. These are used to detect the location to prevent fraudulent use and during product activation. IP addresses are stored for 36 months before they are anonymized to city/country codes.
• Product usage events. Collected to monitor installations, updates, and overall interaction with the product. This aids in product maintenance and improves user experience.
• License key management. The application sends back the license key to regulate access and provide customer support.
• Device data. Includes internal identifiers and OS versions to provide product compatibility and assist in the development of new features.
• Third-party analytics tools. Recuva uses third-party analytics tools like Logentries to collect information about product usage and performance. These tools help refine product features and provide a seamless user experience.

Through these detailed policies, Gen Digital Inc. assures that Recuva adheres to high standards of data integrity and privacy, which reinforces its commitment to providing a safe and reliable data recovery tool for its users.

Is It Possible to Remove Collected Personal Data?

We investigated users' rights to request the deletion of personal data collected while using Recuva. In our opinion, this option is fundamental, as it helps maintain control over personal information. The "right to be forgotten" is important in data protection laws that allows users to request the deletion of their personal data. Users can exercise this right under specific conditions, such as when:

• The data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was originally collected or processed.
• There is no legal ground for its continued processing.
• The data has been unlawfully processed.

This right guarantees that data will not be stored indefinitely and offers a way to minimize potential privacy risks. Gen Digital Inc. supports the right to erasure by demonstrating that they do not misuse personal data and are willing to delete it upon request.

How We Tested Recuva for Malware

To check that Recuva is free of malware, we tested the installer with the popular VirusTotal service. Additionally, we've provided step-by-step instructions so you can verify this yourself before installation, helping to keep your system protected from potential threats.

1. First, download the Recuva installation file from the official website to guarantee you use the legit version.

2. Open your web browser and navigate to VirusTotal's website.

3. Click on the ‘Choose file’ button on the VirusTotal homepage, then select the Recuva installer file you downloaded.

4. After you upload the file, VirusTotal will automatically begin scanning the installer with various antivirus tools. Wait for the scan to end.

5. Once the scan is complete, VirusTotal will display the results. Check the analysis outcomes from different antivirus programs to see if any have flagged the file as malicious.

After analysis, the Recuva installer showed that 1 out of 70 antivirus programs (Antiy-AVL) flagged the installer as a Trojan. However, this is likely a false positive, as all other 69 antiviruses did not detect any traces of malware. This kind of discrepancy often occurs due to the heuristic analysis methods used by some antivirus programs, which can sometimes misinterpret benign software behaviors as suspicious.

Additionally, we conducted a separate analysis of the Recuva website with VirusTotal, and it was not flagged as suspicious by any of the 96 tools used in the analysis. This further supports the safety and legitimacy of downloading from the official source.

How to Disable Data Collection in the Recuva App

Although Recuva’s privacy policy, as we have confirmed, states that it does not collect any personal data while scanning your devices for recoverable files, the program includes an option to disable usage data collection. This feature gives users more control over their personal information. Here’s how to do it:

1. Launch the Recuva application on your Windows system.

2. Navigate to the 'Options' menu, which you can typically find in the top toolbar of the application.

3. Within the Options menu, select the 'Privacy' tab to view the data collection settings.

4. Uncheck the box that corresponds to data sharing. This might include options such as 'Help improve our other apps by sending usage data to CCleaner'.

5. After deselecting the data collection options, click 'OK' to confirm the changes.

To verify that the changes have been successfully applied, you can revisit the Privacy settings following a restart of the application. No options related to data collection should be checked.

🔗 If you looking for another secure data recovery software, check out the Disk Drill security review and its complete evaluation. This software might be a better fit for your needs compared to Recuva.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm that Recuva is completely safe for data recovery. It has no intention to steal your personal data or use it for malicious purposes; instead, it needs the data to improve its customer support. Furthermore, our research into data collection methods and user privacy rights confirmed the program's commitment to protect user data. Although one antivirus on VirusTotal flagged a potential virus, all other antivirus programs marked Recuva as safe, which demonstrate that the program itself is virus-free.

FAQ

What do the reviews say about Recuva?

User reviews generally commend Recuva for its ability to recover lost or deleted files. However, some users have expressed concerns about the interface, noting that it appears quite outdated compared to more modern data recovery solutions. Additionally, critiques often concentrate on the limited range of file formats Recuva can restore, typically encompassing common types such as JPG, AVI, MOV, DOC, PDF, and PPT. Reports also indicate mixed success with recovering very old or overwritten data, suggesting limitations in its recovery capabilities.

How can you make sure that your version of Recuva is a scam?

To verify that the version of Recuva is legal, you should download the software directly from the official website. Avoid third-party sites that may offer counterfeit or modified versions of Recuva, which could potentially contain malware or fail to perform as advertised.

Is Recuva available for Mac?

Recuva currently lacks a macOS version. Users who need to recover data on Mac devices should learn about alternative software specifically designed for macOS. The best alternatives for Mac users are Disk Drill, R-Studio, and UFS Explorer, which provide data recovery capabilities similar to Recuva, support various file systems, and recover files from a wide range of devices. We recommend reviewing articles on Mac data recovery software for more options and solutions for data recovery and related tasks.