220-1102 · Question #397
A hard drive that previously contained PII needs to be repurposed for a public access workstation. Which of the following data destruction methods should a technician use to ensure data is…
The correct answer is C. Low-level formatting. To completely remove PII from a hard drive for repurposing, low-level formatting (or secure data wiping) should be used to overwrite all data sectors, making it unrecoverable.
Question
A hard drive that previously contained PII needs to be repurposed for a public access workstation. Which of the following data destruction methods should a technician use to ensure data is completely removed from the hard drive?
Options
- AShredding
- BDegaussing
- CLow-level formatting
- DRecycling
How the community answered
(32 responses)- A13% (4)
- B3% (1)
- C81% (26)
- D3% (1)
Why each option
To completely remove PII from a hard drive for repurposing, low-level formatting (or secure data wiping) should be used to overwrite all data sectors, making it unrecoverable.
Shredding is a physical destruction method that makes the drive unusable, which is not suitable for repurposing.
Degaussing destroys data by demagnetizing the drive, rendering it inoperable for future use, making it unsuitable for repurposing.
Low-level formatting, or a secure data wipe (e.g., zero-filling or multiple-pass overwriting), overwrites all sectors of a hard drive with new data, typically zeros or random patterns. This method ensures that previously stored PII is forensically unrecoverable, making the drive safe for repurposing.
Recycling refers to the environmental disposal process and does not inherently include data destruction, especially if the drive is to be reused.
Concept tested: Data destruction methods for repurposing
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/diskpart
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