hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: Migrating to a new cloud-based system and needs…
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?
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
✓
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 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 tapes with a bulk eraser.
Why this is correct
A bulk eraser, or degausser, generates a powerful alternating magnetic field that randomizes the magnetic domains on the tape's surface. This process effectively scrambles all recorded data, rendering it irrecoverable and ensuring complete data destruction. It is the industry-standard and most secure method for sanitizing magnetic media like tapes, as it physically alters the magnetic alignment across the entire medium.
- ✗
Reformat the tapes using a tape drive.
Why it's wrong here
Reformatting a tape typically involves writing new header information and possibly some initial data blocks, but it does not guarantee that every sector or magnetic domain on the entire tape surface is overwritten. Residual data can persist in unaddressed areas, bad blocks, or areas not touched by the reformatting process, making it potentially recoverable with specialized tools. Therefore, reformatting alone is insufficient for secure data sanitization.
- ✗
Incinerate the tapes in a certified facility.
Why it's wrong here
Incinerating magnetic tape in a certified facility destroys the physical media but does not guarantee that the underlying magnetic domains are fully demagnetised before combustion; residual data could theoretically be recovered from unburned fragments or ash, whereas the correct method—degaussing—uses a powerful magnetic field to randomise the domain alignment, rendering the data irrecoverable. This option is tempting because incineration is a standard destruction method for optical media or paper records where physical obliteration suffices, and it would be correct for disposing of non-magnetic storage like CD-ROMs or DVDs.
- ✗
Delete the files from the tape catalog.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting files from a tape catalog, or index, merely removes the pointers that indicate where data blocks are located on the tape. The actual magnetic data remains physically present on the tape media itself, completely untouched by this operation. Without the catalog entries, the data appears inaccessible through normal means, but it can still be recovered using forensic techniques or by scanning the raw tape for data patterns. This method offers no data sanitization.
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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.