220-1202 Data Destruction and Disposal Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

A company is decommissioning a data center and must destroy 1000 HDDs and 200 SSDs. The policy mandates that all data be destroyed on-site and that the drives be rendered physically unusable. Which combination of methods is most efficient?

Accepted Answer

Use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives.. For large-scale on-site destruction, a hard drive shredder can physically destroy both HDDs and SSDs quickly and efficiently. Degaussing works for HDDs but not SSDs, and it does not physically destroy the drives. Overwriting is too time-consuming for 1200 drives.

Answer

Degauss all drives and then recycle them.

Answer

Overwrite all drives with a three-pass wipe.

Answer

Use a degausser for HDDs and a secure erase for SSDs.

Question 7

A non-profit organization is upgrading its computers and wants to donate the old ones to a local school. The HDDs contain donor information that must be kept confidential. The organization wants the drives to be reusable. Which method should be used?

Accepted Answer

Perform a full overwrite with zeros using disk-wiping software.. A full overwrite using disk-wiping software destroys data while leaving the drive functional for reuse. Degaussing destroys data but renders the drive unusable. Physical destruction also prevents reuse.

Answer

Use a degausser to erase the drives.

Answer

Physically drill holes through the drive platters.

Answer

Delete all files and empty the recycle bin.

Question 8

A security auditor discovers that a company's data destruction logs show only a quick format was performed on drives before disposal. The drives contained personally identifiable information (PII). What is the primary risk?

Accepted Answer

The PII data is still recoverable from the drives.. A quick format only clears the file table, leaving the actual data on the drive. This data can be recovered with simple software tools, exposing PII. Proper destruction (overwrite, degauss, or physical destruction) is required to prevent data recovery.

Answer

The drives may not boot properly after disposal.

Answer

The drives could be reused without any issues.

Answer

The drives will no longer hold a magnetic charge.

Question 9

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.

Question 10

A small office is decommissioning several SSDs from old laptops. The technician needs to ensure data is destroyed securely and the drives can be resold. Which method is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Use the ATA Secure Erase command.. SSDs require a secure erase command (ATA Secure Erase) to reset all cells to an empty state, making data unrecoverable and the drive reusable. Overwriting SSDs is less effective due to wear leveling, and degaussing can damage the controller.

Answer

Run a multi-pass overwrite with random data.

Answer

Degauss the SSDs to remove magnetic data.

Answer

Perform a standard delete and empty the recycle bin.

Question 11

A technician is decommissioning a server that contained highly sensitive financial data. The server has multiple HDDs in a RAID array. The company policy requires data destruction to be certified. Which approach is most efficient and secure?

Accepted Answer

Remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool.. For RAID arrays, wiping each individual drive separately ensures that all data is destroyed, as RAID striping distributes data across drives. A single wipe of the logical volume may not cover all physical sectors. Certified destruction often involves physical shredding or secure wiping with verification.

Answer

Perform a single overwrite on the RAID logical volume.

Answer

Degauss the entire server chassis.

Answer

Reformat the RAID array and reinstall the OS.

Question 12

A company is relocating and needs to dispose of 50 old desktop computers with HDDs that contain sensitive client data. The policy requires data destruction to be verifiable and the drives to be physically destroyed. Which method meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Send the drives to a certified e-waste recycler for shredding.. Physical destruction methods like shredding or crushing provide verifiable destruction (e.g., through a certificate of destruction) and ensure the drives cannot be reused, meeting strict security policies. Degaussing also destroys data but may not physically destroy the drive.

Answer

Use a degausser and then donate the drives to a school.

Answer

Overwrite each drive with three passes of random data.

Answer

Reformat each drive and install a fresh OS for reuse.

Question 13

A user reports that their computer is running slowly and they suspect a virus. After scanning, the technician finds malware that has encrypted several files. The technician decides to wipe the drive and reinstall the OS. What should be done to ensure the malware is completely removed before data destruction?

Accepted Answer

Use a secure erase utility that overwrites the entire drive including the boot sector.. Some malware can persist in the boot sector or firmware. A full wipe of the entire drive (including the boot sector) using a secure erase or low-level format ensures no malware remnants remain. A simple format may leave boot-sector malware intact.

Answer

Run a quick format and then reinstall the OS.

Answer

Delete the encrypted files and run a registry cleaner.

Answer

Use System Restore to revert to a previous state.

Question 14

A technician is tasked with disposing of a large batch of optical discs (CD-Rs and DVD-Rs) that contain archived customer records. The company policy requires data to be unrecoverable. Which disposal method is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Shred the discs using an industrial cross-cut shredder.. Optical discs cannot be overwritten (write-once media). Physical destruction, such as shredding or breaking, is the only reliable way to ensure data is unrecoverable. Degaussing has no effect on optical media.

Answer

Use a degausser to demagnetize the discs.

Answer

Overwrite the discs with a disk-wiping tool.

Answer

Perform a quick format on the discs.

Question 15

An IT manager wants to implement a data destruction policy that meets the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 5220.22-M standard for top-secret data. The drives are HDDs and will be reused within the organization. Which method is required?

Accepted Answer

Run a three-pass overwrite (zeros, ones, random).. The DoD 5220.22-M standard for top-secret data requires a three-pass overwrite (pass 1: zeros, pass 2: ones, pass 3: random) to ensure data is unrecoverable. A single overwrite may not meet this standard. Degaussing and physical destruction are also acceptable but prevent reuse.

Answer

Perform a single overwrite with zeros.

Answer

Use a degausser and then reformat the drive.

Answer

Physically destroy the drive with a hammer.