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220-1202 Secure Erase Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often mistakenly believe that multiple overwrites (like the DoD 5220.22-M standard) are universally effective, but SSDs require a different approach due to their internal architecture. Degaussing is destructive for magnetic drives and not applicable to flash-based storage.
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
✓
Use the drive manufacturer's secure erase utility.
The drive manufacturer's secure erase utility (e.g., ATA Secure Erase) issues a hardware-level command that triggers the SSD's internal controller to cryptographically erase all data by resetting the encryption key, which is instantaneous and preserves the drive's health. This method is specifically designed for SSDs because traditional overwriting (like zero-filling) is ineffective on SSDs due to wear-leveling and garbage collection, which can leave data remnants in over-provisioned or reallocated sectors.
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 full format on each SSD.
Why it's wrong here
Running a full format on an SSD is insufficient for secure data erasure because it is primarily a file system operation that marks logical block addresses as available, rather than physically overwriting all NAND cells. The SSD controller's wear-leveling algorithms and over-provisioned areas mean that data can persist in physical blocks that are no longer mapped to logical addresses accessible by the operating system, making the data recoverable with specialized tools. Therefore, a full format does not guarantee the complete removal of sensitive information from an SSD.
- ✓
Use the drive manufacturer's secure erase utility.
Why this is correct
Using the drive manufacturer's secure erase utility is the most effective and recommended method for decommissioning an SSD. This utility sends an ATA SECURITY ERASE UNIT command directly to the SSD controller, which then executes a low-level operation to reset all NAND flash memory cells to their factory default state. This process ensures that all data, including that in over-provisioned areas and remapped blocks, is irreversibly erased at the hardware level, rendering it unrecoverable while also restoring the drive's performance for future reuse.
- ✗
Degauss the SSDs.
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing is an entirely inappropriate and potentially damaging method for attempting to erase data from Solid State Drives. SSDs store data using electrical charges within non-magnetic NAND flash memory cells, not magnetic domains like traditional HDDs. Applying a strong magnetic field from a degausser will not erase the data but will instead likely damage the sensitive electronic components of the SSD controller and memory chips, rendering the drive inoperable and potentially leaving the data intact.
- ✗
Overwrite the drives with zeros three times.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting an SSD with zeros multiple times is an unreliable method for secure data erasure due to the fundamental architecture of flash memory and the SSD controller's management functions. The controller's wear-leveling algorithms constantly remap logical block addresses to different physical NAND cells to distribute writes evenly, meaning a software-based overwrite cannot guarantee that all previously written data blocks are physically overwritten. Old data may persist in remapped blocks, garbage-collected areas, or over-provisioned space that the operating system cannot directly access, making it potentially recoverable.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.