220-1202 Practice Test 36 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is decommissioning a RAID array of 10 hard drives that contained sensitive HR data. The company policy requires that data be destroyed without removing individual drives from the array. Which method is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Use a degausser that can accommodate the entire array chassis.. The correct answer is to use a degausser designed for large media, which can destroy data on all drives simultaneously without disassembly. However, this may damage the RAID controller. Alternatively, a bulk eraser could be used. This question tests understanding of bulk destruction methods for RAID arrays.

Answer

Remove each drive and use a hammer to break the platters.

Answer

Perform a secure erase on each drive via the RAID controller.

Answer

Reformat the array and reuse it for non-sensitive data.

Question 2

A customer brings in a laptop that they want to recycle, but they are concerned about personal data. The laptop has a 256GB SSD and the customer wants to keep the laptop functional for resale. Which method should the technician recommend?

Accepted Answer

Use the 'Reset this PC' option with the 'Remove everything and clean the drive' setting.. The correct answer is to use the built-in 'Reset this PC' with the 'Remove everything and clean the drive' option, which performs a secure wipe on SSDs. This ensures data is overwritten while keeping the laptop usable. Simple deletion or formatting is insufficient, and physical destruction would make the laptop unusable.

Answer

Remove the SSD and physically destroy it, then sell the laptop without a drive.

Answer

Use a degausser on the SSD.

Answer

Perform a standard format and reinstall Windows.

Question 3

A technician is disposing of a stack of CDs and DVDs that contain backup data from a medical office. The media are labeled with patient information. Which method should the technician use to destroy the data?

Accepted Answer

Use a cross-cut shredder that accepts optical discs.. The correct answer is to use a cross-cut shredder designed for optical media. Shredding physically destroys the discs, making data unrecoverable. Degaussing does not work on optical media, and formatting or deleting files is not possible on read-only discs.

Answer

Use a degausser on each disc.

Answer

Scratch the surface of each disc with a key.

Answer

Place the discs in a microwave for 10 seconds.

Question 4

An organization is moving to a cloud-based system and needs to dispose of several tape backup cartridges that contain years of financial data. The tapes are LTO-5 and are still readable. Which destruction method is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Overwrite the tapes with a bulk eraser or degausser.. The correct answer is to use a degausser rated for magnetic tape, which will erase the data by randomizing the magnetic particles. Physical destruction (shredding) is also effective but may be more costly. This question tests knowledge that tape media requires specialized degaussers.

Answer

Perform a quick format of the tapes using a tape drive.

Answer

Reuse the tapes for non-sensitive data after deleting the files.

Answer

Burn the tapes in an industrial incinerator.

Question 5

A customer is returning a leased laptop that contains sensitive client data. The lease agreement requires that the data be irrecoverably destroyed, but the laptop must remain functional for the next lessee. Which method should you use?

Accepted Answer

Run a secure erase utility that overwrites all sectors with zeros.. Data destruction methods vary by need. For this scenario, the drive must stay functional, so physical destruction or degaussing is not appropriate. A secure wipe using a tool that overwrites all sectors is the correct approach because it renders data unrecoverable while preserving the drive's usability.

Answer

Perform a quick format of the hard drive.

Answer

Use a degausser to demagnetize the drive.

Answer

Physically shred the hard drive.

Question 6

A small business is upgrading its workstations and needs to dispose of 20 old hard drives that contain confidential payroll records. The company wants the lowest-cost method that ensures data cannot be recovered. Which disposal method should be recommended?

Accepted Answer

Drill holes through the platters of each drive.. For cost-sensitive environments with sensitive data, physical destruction is often the most reliable and inexpensive method. Drilling through the platters is a low-cost way to render the drive unreadable without specialized equipment.

Answer

Use a degausser on each drive.

Answer

Perform a standard format on each drive.

Answer

Reformat the drives and install a fresh OS.

Question 7

During a security audit, it is discovered that an old server's hard drives were simply deleted and the server was sold to a recycler. The recycler later reported finding readable files on the drives. Which data disposal standard was violated?

Accepted Answer

NIST SP 800-88. Simply deleting files or formatting does not meet data destruction standards. Proper methods like overwriting, degaussing, or physical destruction are required to ensure data is unrecoverable.

Answer

PCI DSS

Answer

HIPAA

Answer

ISO 27001

Question 8

A technician is tasked with decommissioning a RAID array of SSDs that stored proprietary source code. The company policy requires that the drives be reused in another department. Which method ensures data is securely removed while preserving the SSDs?

Accepted Answer

Use the drive manufacturer's secure erase utility.. SSDs require special handling because their wear-leveling and TRIM features can make traditional overwriting unreliable. A secure erase command (ATA Secure Erase) is designed for SSDs to reset all cells to an unallocated state.

Answer

Run a full format on each SSD.

Answer

Degauss the SSDs.

Answer

Overwrite the drives with zeros three times.

Question 9

A user reports that after a technician recycled an old computer by simply deleting the user profile, the next user found personal documents in the 'Recycle Bin'. Which step was missed in the data disposal process?

Accepted Answer

The technician should have used a data wiping tool that overwrites the free space.. Deleting files and emptying the Recycle Bin does not actually remove data from the drive; it only marks the space as available. Proper sanitization requires overwriting or physical destruction to prevent recovery.

Answer

The technician should have performed a quick format.

Answer

The technician should have removed the hard drive and stored it.

Answer

The technician should have disabled the Recycle Bin.

Question 10

A company is decommissioning a server that contained encrypted customer financial data. The IT manager wants to ensure the data is destroyed without damaging the hard drives, as they will be reused in test environments. Which method should be used?

Accepted Answer

Issue a cryptographic erase command to the drive's self-encrypting feature.. For encrypted drives, a cryptographic erase (crypto erase) is the most efficient method. It destroys the encryption key, making the data inaccessible even if the encrypted data remains on the drive. This preserves the drive for reuse.

Answer

Physically shred the drives.

Answer

Perform a standard format and reinstall the OS.

Answer

Use a degausser on the drives.

Question 11

During a routine hardware refresh, a technician finds a box of old USB flash drives that were used to store temporary project files. The drives are to be given to employees for personal use. What is the most practical way to ensure no project data remains?

Accepted Answer

Use a diskpart clean all command to overwrite every sector.. USB flash drives use NAND flash memory, similar to SSDs. A full overwrite with zeros is effective for most flash drives, as it writes to all accessible blocks. However, some drives may have hidden areas, so a secure erase tool is recommended.

Answer

Delete all files and empty the Recycle Bin.

Answer

Microwave the flash drives to destroy the chips.

Answer

Reformat the drives with a quick format.

Question 12

A healthcare clinic is disposing of 50 hard drives that contained protected health information (PHI). The compliance officer insists on a method that meets HIPAA requirements and provides a certificate of destruction. Which approach should be taken?

Accepted Answer

Hire a certified e-waste recycler to physically shred the drives and provide a certificate of destruction.. HIPAA requires that PHI be rendered unrecoverable. Many organizations use a certified third-party destruction service that provides a certificate of destruction. Physical shredding is a common compliant method.

Answer

Overwrite the drives with zeros and reuse them in non-patient areas.

Answer

Use a degausser and then recycle the drives as scrap metal.

Answer

Perform a cryptographic erase if the drives support it.

Question 13

A technician is decommissioning a server that uses a hardware RAID controller. The company policy requires that all data be destroyed, but the drives must be returned to the leasing company. Which method ensures data is unrecoverable while preserving the drives?

Accepted Answer

Use the RAID controller's built-in 'secure erase' or 'low-level format' command.. Hardware RAID controllers often use non-standard sector layouts, making software-based wiping unreliable. The best approach is to use the RAID controller's own low-level format or secure erase utility, which understands the controller's geometry.

Answer

Remove the drives and use a degausser on each one.

Answer

Perform a secure erase using a bootable utility like DBAN.

Answer

Physically drill through the drive enclosures.

Question 14

A company is migrating to a new cloud-based system and needs to dispose of old tape backup cartridges that contain years of financial data. The tapes are magnetic media. Which disposal method is most appropriate for this media type?

Accepted Answer

Overwrite the tapes with a bulk eraser.. Magnetic tape is best destroyed by degaussing, which disrupts the magnetic domains, or by physical shredding. Degaussing is fast and effective for tape, but it renders the tape unusable. Shredding is also acceptable.

Answer

Reformat the tapes using a tape drive.

Answer

Incinerate the tapes in a certified facility.

Answer

Delete the files from the tape catalog.

Question 15

A client brings in a laptop that was used by an employee who left the company. The manager wants to ensure all data is unrecoverable before recycling the laptop. The laptop has a traditional HDD. Which method should be used?

Accepted Answer

Run a full overwrite using disk-wiping software.. For traditional HDDs, a full overwrite with zeros or random data (often called wiping) renders the data unrecoverable without special equipment. Degaussing destroys the magnetic field but also renders the drive unusable; physical destruction is extreme; reformatting leaves recoverable data.

Answer

Perform a quick format of the drive.

Answer

Use a degausser to demagnetize the drive.

Answer

Physically shred the drive with a hard drive shredder.