A company is concerned about theft of client data from decommissioned laptops. Which of the following is the most cost-effective method to decrease this risk?

Question

Options

• AWiping
• BRecycling
• CShredding
• DDeletion

• A
  72% (43)
• B
  3% (2)
• C
  17% (10)
• D
  8% (5)

Explanation

Wiping (A) is correct because it uses software tools to overwrite all data on the drive, rendering client data unrecoverable while keeping the hardware intact and reusable - making it both secure and cost-effective for decommissioned laptops.

• B (Recycling) is wrong on its own: recycling doesn't address data security unless wiping is performed first - it just moves the hardware elsewhere.
• C (Shredding) physically destroys the drive and does eliminate data theft risk, but it also destroys the hardware, making it more costly and wasteful than wiping.
• D (Deletion) is wrong because standard file deletion only removes directory pointers; the underlying data remains on the disk and is easily recoverable with basic tools.

Memory tip: Think of it as the "Goldilocks" problem - Deletion does too little, Shredding does too much (and costs more), but Wiping is just right: it fully sanitizes data while preserving the hardware's resale or reuse value.

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