- A
Overwrite the drives with zeros and reuse them in non-patient areas.
Why wrong: Overwriting may be acceptable, but without a certificate, it may not satisfy audit requirements. The clinic wants a certificate.
- B
Use a degausser and then recycle the drives as scrap metal.
Why wrong: Degaussing is effective, but the clinic needs a certificate of destruction, which a degaussing service may not always provide.
- C
Hire a certified e-waste recycler to physically shred the drives and provide a certificate of destruction.
A certified recycler will shred the drives and issue a certificate, meeting HIPAA requirements and providing audit-proof documentation.
- D
Perform a cryptographic erase if the drives support it.
Why wrong: Crypto erase is effective but may not be available on all drives, and obtaining a certificate from the process is not standard.
Quick Answer
The answer is to hire a certified e-waste recycler to physically shred the drives and provide a certificate of destruction. This is correct because HIPAA’s Security Rule requires that protected health information (PHI) be rendered completely unreachable and unrecoverable, and physical destruction—such as shredding or pulverizing the platters—is the only method that guarantees data cannot be reconstructed. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of proper disposal procedures for sensitive data, often appearing as a contrast to simpler methods like wiping or degaussing, which may not satisfy compliance requirements for a verifiable audit trail. A common trap is choosing “degaussing” alone, since it destroys magnetic data but does not physically destroy the drive and rarely yields a formal certificate. Remember the mnemonic “Shred to Shed Liability”—if PHI is involved, physical shredding plus a certificate is the only way to prove HIPAA compliance.
220-1202 Data Destruction and Disposal Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of data destruction and disposal. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
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
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.
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Overwrite the drives with zeros and reuse them in non-patient areas.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting may be acceptable, but without a certificate, it may not satisfy audit requirements. The clinic wants a certificate.
- ✗
Use a degausser and then recycle the drives as scrap metal.
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing is effective, but the clinic needs a certificate of destruction, which a degaussing service may not always provide.
- ✓
Hire a certified e-waste recycler to physically shred the drives and provide a certificate of destruction.
Why this is correct
A certified recycler will shred the drives and issue a certificate, meeting HIPAA requirements and providing audit-proof documentation.
Related concept
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- ✗
Perform a cryptographic erase if the drives support it.
Why it's wrong here
Crypto erase is effective but may not be available on all drives, and obtaining a certificate from the process is not standard.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
- OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
- A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
- Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
- Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
- Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related 220-1202 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
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Data Destruction and Disposal — study guide chapter
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Data Destruction and Disposal practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Data Destruction and Disposal — This question tests Data Destruction and Disposal — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related 220-1202 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 220-1202
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is decommissioning a server that contained encrypted patient health records. The organization's policy requires data to be destroyed beyond recovery, but the server must be returned to the leasing company. Which method should the technician use?
medium- A.Perform a full format of all drives.
- B.Use a degausser on the entire server chassis.
- ✓ C.Remove the hard drives and physically shred them, then return the server without drives.
- D.Run a disk cleanup and delete all files.
Why C: The correct answer is to remove and physically destroy the hard drives, then return the server without them. Degaussing would also destroy data but may damage the server's electronics. Data wiping is not allowed per policy, and formatting is insecure. This tests understanding of disposal methods when hardware must be returned.
Last reviewed: Jun 19, 2026
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.
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