220-1202 Security Practice Question
A technician is asked to dispose of several old company laptops that contain customer records on their internal drives. The drives are traditional spinning magnetic disks, and the company wants to reuse the laptops internally after the data is removed. Which of the following is the BEST method to ensure the customer data cannot be recovered?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating deletion or quick formatting as sufficient sanitization, when only overwriting the full media removes the data while preserving the drive for reuse.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Perform a low-level wipe by overwriting the entire drive with multiple passes of random data
The laptops will be reused internally, so the storage must remain functional while the customer data becomes unrecoverable. Overwriting every sector of a magnetic hard disk with random data removes the original bit patterns and defeats forensic recovery. Partition deletion and quick formatting leave recoverable remnants, and degaussing renders the drive unusable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run a standard format of the drive from the operating system installer
Why it's wrong here
A standard format rewrites file system structures but leaves the underlying sectors largely intact, so forensic tools can often recover the previous contents. Because the laptops will be reused and the data is sensitive customer information, a quick format does not provide the assurance that the original records are unrecoverable. It is insufficient for this disposal requirement.
- ✗
Degauss the drive and then reinstall the operating system
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing a magnetic drive erases it, but it also destroys the drive's servo and format information, leaving the unit unusable. It cannot then be reinstalled and reused as required. Degaussing is appropriate when the media will be destroyed or recycled, not when the laptops must return to service with working drives.
- ✗
Delete all partitions and leave the drive unallocated
Why it's wrong here
Removing partitions only alters the partition table and file system metadata; the data sectors remain readable with recovery software. Anyone with the laptop could recreate a partition and scan for remnants of the customer records. Since the laptops are being reused, this method does not adequately protect the sensitive data.
- ✓
Perform a low-level wipe by overwriting the entire drive with multiple passes of random data
Why this is correct
Overwriting every sector of a magnetic hard disk with random data destroys the original bit patterns, and multiple passes add assurance. This sanitizes the drive while leaving it functional for internal reuse, which matches the requirement to remove customer records and keep the laptops in service. It is the appropriate method for spinning magnetic media.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.