Data Destruction Methods for Reusing Drives | CompTIA A+ Core 2 Exam

Data Destruction Methods

Question

A technician must remove data from the human resources computers.

The technician plans to reuse the drives in the computers.

Which of the following data destruction methods should the technician perform to ensure the data is removed completely?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

To ensure that data is removed completely from a hard drive, a technician can use several data destruction methods. The best method depends on the level of security required and the intended use of the hard drive.

A. Degaussing: This method involves the use of a powerful magnet to erase data from a hard drive. Degaussing is a highly effective method of data destruction, but it is expensive and requires specialized equipment. Degaussing is best suited for high-security applications where the hard drive must be completely destroyed and cannot be reused.

B. Standard format: This method involves the use of the format command in the operating system to erase data from a hard drive. A standard format only removes the file system information, leaving the data intact and recoverable with specialized software tools. Standard format is not an effective method of data destruction and should not be relied upon for secure data erasure.

C. Overwrite: This method involves writing new data over the existing data on the hard drive. Overwriting can be done using specialized software tools or by copying large files to the hard drive until it is full. The number of overwrites required to ensure data destruction depends on the level of security required. Overwriting is an effective method of data destruction for most applications.

D. Low-level format: This method involves overwriting the hard drive with zeros or ones to erase all data on the drive. Low-level format is a time-consuming process that involves writing data to every sector on the hard drive. This method is not necessary for most applications and is not recommended for modern hard drives, which may have firmware that can be damaged by a low-level format.

In summary, the best data destruction method for a technician who plans to reuse the hard drive is to perform an overwrite of the drive. This can be done using specialized software tools or by copying large files to the hard drive until it is full. The number of overwrites required to ensure data destruction depends on the level of security required.