CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
An organization is disposing of old servers. The IS auditor reviews the asset disposition process and finds that hard drives are being erased using a standard format command. What is the auditor's primary concern?
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
✓
The data on the hard drives may still be recoverable.
Standard format commands do not securely erase data; data can still be recovered. Secure sanitization methods (e.g., degaussing, shredding) should be used.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The drives are not being tested for functionality.
Why it's wrong here
Testing is not relevant when disposing.
- ✓
The data on the hard drives may still be recoverable.
Why this is correct
Standard format does not overwrite data securely.
- ✗
The software licenses are not being transferred.
Why it's wrong here
License transfer is a separate issue.
- ✗
The servers are not being recycled for environmental compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Environmental compliance is important, but data security is the primary concern.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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