220-1102 Question 826
Single answerData securityA medical office is replacing several Windows laptops that staff used to access patient records. The laptops will be sent to a third-party recycler, but the drives are still functional and may be reused. The office manager asks the technician to protect patient data while allowing the hardware to remain usable. Which action should the technician take FIRST to meet this requirement?
- A
Perform a standard quick format on each drive before shipment
- B
Use a secure drive wipe that overwrites the existing data before releasing the laptops
- C
Delete user profiles and clear browser history, then remove the laptops from the domain
- D
Physically destroy the drives with a shredder before sending the laptops to the recycler
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The best answer is to use a secure wipe that overwrites the data before releasing the laptops. In a real-world A+ Core 2 scenario, the technician must match the sanitization method to the business requirement: protect sensitive data while preserving the device for reuse. Quick formatting and simple file deletion are not secure data disposal methods. Physical destruction is highly effective but is intended for media that will not be reused. Best practices for media sanitization are reflected in widely accepted guidance such as NIST SP 800-88, which distinguishes between methods like clearing, purging, and destroying media based on the reuse and confidentiality requirements. Because these laptops contained patient information, secure sanitization is especially important before transfer to any third party.
- A. Incorrect.
A quick format is not sufficient for data security. It typically removes file system references rather than securely erasing the underlying data, so data recovery tools may still retrieve sensitive information. This is a common misconception because formatted drives may appear empty even though recoverable data remains.
- B. Correct.
This is correct. A secure wipe that overwrites the existing data is an appropriate method when the organization wants to sanitize the drives but keep them usable. For systems containing regulated data such as patient records, proper media sanitization is a best practice before transfer or disposal. Overwriting is a practical approach for reusable magnetic drives and aligns with standard data sanitization guidance.
- C. Incorrect.
Deleting profiles, clearing browser history, and removing devices from the domain do not adequately sanitize storage media. Sensitive files, cached data, temporary files, email data, and deleted content can still remain on the drive. Someone might choose this option because it sounds thorough from a system administration perspective, but it does not meet data sanitization requirements.
- D. Incorrect.
Physical destruction is effective for preventing data recovery, but it does not meet the stated requirement to keep the hardware usable. This would be appropriate if the drives were not going to be reused or if policy required destruction, but in this scenario the office wants the devices to remain functional for recycling or reuse.