CompTIA Data+ (DA0-002)Data Governance, Quality and ControlsHard
A company's records retention policy specifies that customer transaction records must be kept for seven years to satisfy tax regulations. Once a record reaches the end of that seven-year period, the policy requires the record to be permanently destroyed using a method that renders the data unrecoverable, such as cryptographic erasure of encrypted backups or physical shredding of storage media. Which stage of the data lifecycle does this final action represent?
- AData disposal
- BData retention
- CLegal hold
- DData archiving
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Data disposal
Data disposal (or destruction) is the lifecycle stage in which data that has reached the end of its required retention period is permanently and irreversibly destroyed, ensuring it cannot be recovered or misused. This is distinct from retention, which governs how long data must be kept, and from archiving, which moves data to long-term storage rather than destroying it.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Retention refers to the required storage duration itself, not the destruction that occurs after it expires.
- C. Legal hold suspends the normal deletion process, the opposite of proceeding with destruction.
- D. Archiving moves data to lower-cost, long-term storage for potential future access, it does not destroy the data.
Data Disposal (Destruction)
The final stage of the data lifecycle in which data is permanently and irreversibly destroyed after its retention period expires, using methods like shredding or cryptographic erasure.
- Occurs only after retention requirements/legal holds are satisfied
- Methods include physical destruction and cryptographic erasure
- Failure to properly dispose of data can create compliance and security risk
Memory trick: Create, Store, Use, Share, Archive, then finally Destroy for good