220-1102 Question 524
Single answerShreddingA technician is preparing several old hard drives from the accounting department for disposal. The drives previously stored payroll records and tax documents. Company policy requires that data be rendered unrecoverable before the drives leave the building, but the company also wants to reuse the metal and components through an electronics recycler. Which method best meets this requirement?
- A
Run a quick format on each drive and send them to recycling
- B
Delete the files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove the drives from the asset list
- C
Use a drive-shredding process to physically destroy the drives before sending the remains to the recycler
- D
Move the files to an encrypted archive on the server and then donate the drives
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The best answer is to shred the drives. In A+ Core 2, shredding is a media sanitization and disposal method used when data must be made unrecoverable. This is especially appropriate for storage devices that contained sensitive or regulated data. Logical deletion methods such as deleting files or formatting are not sufficient for secure disposal because data can often still be recovered. Best practices for media sanitization are reflected in guidance such as NIST SP 800-88, which distinguishes between basic clearing methods and destruction methods like shredding for end-of-life media handling. In this scenario, physical destruction followed by proper recycling satisfies both the security requirement and the company's desire to recycle the materials.
- A. Incorrect.
A quick format does not securely erase data. It typically removes file system references and prepares the drive for reuse, but the underlying data may still be recoverable with forensic or recovery tools. This is a common mistake when disposing of storage media containing sensitive information.
- B. Incorrect.
Deleting files and emptying the Recycle Bin only removes normal access to the files through the operating system. The data often remains on the drive until overwritten. Removing the drives from inventory may satisfy asset tracking steps, but it does nothing to sanitize the media.
- C. Correct.
Shredding is correct because it physically destroys the storage media, making data recovery impractical or impossible. This is an appropriate disposal method for drives containing highly sensitive information such as payroll and tax records. After shredding, the destroyed materials can still be sent to an approved electronics recycler for proper handling of the remaining components.
- D. Incorrect.
Archiving the files elsewhere may preserve business records, but it does not sanitize the original drives. Donating drives that still contain recoverable data would violate the disposal requirement and create a major security risk, even if a copy of the data exists in an encrypted archive.