220-1102 Question 528
Single answerErasing/wipingA technician is preparing several company-owned laptops for resale. One laptop uses a traditional magnetic hard disk drive (HDD), and company policy requires that customer data be rendered unrecoverable before the system leaves the building. The technician wants the MOST appropriate method that meets this requirement while keeping the drive usable for the next owner. Which action should the technician take?
- A
Perform a full format of the HDD and reinstall the operating system
- B
Use a disk-wiping utility to overwrite the HDD sectors, then verify completion
- C
Delete the user profiles and empty the Recycle Bin before shipping the laptop
- D
Run System Restore to return the laptop to factory settings
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
When a traditional HDD is being repurposed or resold, the CompTIA A+ objective on data destruction/sanitization expects candidates to recognize that wiping/overwriting is the appropriate choice when the goal is to erase data securely while keeping the drive usable. Simple deletion, formatting, or restore/reset functions are not equivalent to secure sanitization. In practice, organizations commonly follow media sanitization guidance such as NIST SP 800-88, which distinguishes between basic removal actions and true sanitization methods. For HDDs that will be reused, an overwrite-based wipe is an accepted and practical approach. Verification of the wipe result is also an important step to ensure policy compliance.
- A. Incorrect.
A full format is not the most appropriate sanitization method for ensuring data is unrecoverable prior to resale. While formatting prepares the disk for use, it is not intended to securely sanitize data to the same standard as a dedicated wipe/overwrite process. Candidates may choose this because formatting feels more thorough than deleting files, but it is not the best answer for secure data removal.
- B. Correct.
This is correct. For a traditional HDD that will remain in service, using a disk-wiping/sanitization utility to overwrite the drive is the appropriate method. Overwriting is designed to render previous data unrecoverable through normal means while preserving the drive for reuse. Verifying the wipe completed successfully is also a best practice in organizational sanitization procedures.
- C. Incorrect.
Deleting profiles and emptying the Recycle Bin only removes file references from the file system and frees space for reuse; it does not securely erase the underlying data. This is a common misconception because the files appear gone to the user, but data recovery tools can often retrieve deleted information.
- D. Incorrect.
System Restore does not securely erase user data. It is meant to roll back certain system files and configuration settings, not sanitize a disk for disposal or resale. Someone might choose this if they confuse recovery features with secure wiping, but it does not meet data sanitization requirements.