A technician received 300 old desktops following a recent computer upgrade.
After taking inventory of the old machines, the technician must destroy the data on the HDDs.
Which of the following would be the MOST effective method to accomplish this task?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.D.
Out of the four options provided, the most effective method to destroy data on the HDDs would be Degaussing.
Here's why:
A. Drill: Physically drilling through the hard drive will destroy the platters, and make the data on them inaccessible. However, this process is time-consuming and may be costly if the technician needs to drill through a large number of hard drives. Additionally, if the platters aren't fully destroyed, it may still be possible to recover data from them.
B. Hammer: Similar to drilling, using a hammer to physically destroy the hard drive will make the data on it inaccessible. However, this method is also time-consuming and may not completely destroy the platters. As with drilling, if the platters aren't fully destroyed, data recovery may still be possible.
C. Low-level format: A low-level format is a process that prepares a hard drive for use, but it doesn't completely erase data. A low-level format may make data more difficult to recover, but it's not a secure method of data destruction.
D. Degaussing: Degaussing is the process of exposing the hard drive to a strong magnetic field, which erases the data stored on the platters. This method is fast and effective, and it's commonly used by organizations that need to dispose of large numbers of hard drives. Degaussing also ensures that data cannot be recovered from the hard drives, as the magnetic field destroys the data stored on the platters.
Therefore, Degaussing is the most effective method for destroying data on a large number of hard drives quickly and securely.