CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)Operational ProceduresMedium
A company is decommissioning several hard drives that contained highly sensitive financial records. The drives must be destroyed in a way that renders the magnetic data unrecoverable, and the drives will not be reused. Which method BEST accomplishes this?
- ALow-level formatting the drives
- BDegaussing the drives
- CDeleting all files and emptying the recycle bin
- DRunning a quick format on each drive
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Degaussing the drives
Degaussing exposes magnetic media to a powerful magnetic field that scrambles the data, rendering it unrecoverable and typically making the drive unusable afterward—appropriate when drives will not be reused. Formatting or deleting files does not securely erase data at the magnetic level.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Low-level formatting does not guarantee unrecoverable destruction of sensitive data by forensic means.
- C. Deleting files only removes pointers; data remains recoverable with forensic tools.
- D. Quick format does not erase actual data, only the file table.
Degaussing
A data destruction method that uses a strong magnetic field to scramble data on magnetic storage media, rendering it unreadable.
- Renders the drive unusable afterward, so only for permanent disposal
- Effective only on magnetic media, not SSDs
- Alternative to physical shredding for secure disposal
Memory trick: Degauss to erase for good.