hardMultiple Choice
220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is tasked with decommissioning a…
A technician is tasked with decommissioning a server that contains a RAID array of hard drives. The drives are still functional, but the data must be securely erased. What is the most secure method to ensure data cannot be recovered?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA tests the misconception that logical erasure methods (quick format, zero-fill) are sufficient for secure data destruction. The trap is recognizing that physical destruction is the most secure method, while degaussing is a strong magnetic sanitization method but not universally guaranteed.
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
✓
Physically destroy the drives with a hammer.
Physically destroying the drives (e.g., shredding or hammering the platters) is the most secure method to ensure data cannot be recovered because it makes the magnetic media physically unreadable. Degaussing can randomize magnetic domains but is not guaranteed to work on all modern drives (especially high-coercivity or helium-filled drives) and does not work on SSDs. A quick format only removes logical references to data, and a zero-fill overwrite can leave residual data recoverable. For decommissioning functional drives where the goal is absolute unrecoverability, physical destruction is the strongest option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a quick format of each drive.
Why it's wrong here
A quick format only removes the file system index, not the actual data. Data can be easily recovered with software.
- ✗
Overwrite the drives with zeros using a low-level format.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting can be effective, but it takes time and there is a risk that some data may remain on bad sectors. Degaussing is more thorough.
- ✗
Use a degausser to erase the magnetic data on the drives.
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing destroys the magnetic domains, making data unrecoverable. It is the most secure method for magnetic drives.
- ✓
Physically destroy the drives with a hammer.
Why this is correct
Physical destruction is secure but not efficient for multiple drives. Degaussing is faster and equally secure.
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.