This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of asset security. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 financial institution must retain customer transaction records for 7 years. After that, what is the most appropriate action?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Securely delete using overwriting
After the 7-year retention period, the most appropriate action is to securely delete the records using overwriting. This ensures that the data is irrecoverable while maintaining compliance with data disposal policies. Overwriting with multiple passes (e.g., using the Gutmann method or DoD 5220.22-M standard) prevents data remanence, which is critical for financial records.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding 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.
✗
Degauss and physically destroy
Why it's wrong here
While effective for magnetic media, this method may not be appropriate for all storage types and is often more costly.
✓
Securely delete using overwriting
Why this is correct
Overwriting renders data unrecoverable, meeting disposal requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Transfer to a third-party storage vendor
Why it's wrong here
Transferring does not guarantee proper disposal and may introduce additional risks.
✗
Archive to tape for additional redundancy
Why it's wrong here
Archiving retains data beyond the required period, increasing risk and storage costs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'secure deletion' with 'physical destruction' or 'archiving,' failing to recognize that after the retention period, the primary goal is to eliminate the data securely, not to preserve or transfer it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Secure deletion via overwriting works by writing patterns (e.g., zeros, ones, or random data) over the storage sectors, making original data unrecoverable even with forensic tools. For SSDs, the ATA Secure Erase command is more effective than software overwriting due to wear leveling and over-provisioning. In a real-world scenario, a financial institution might use a tool like `shred` (Linux) or `sdelete` (Windows) with a 3-pass overwrite to meet regulatory standards like PCI DSS.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
Asset Security — This question tests Asset Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Securely delete using overwriting — After the 7-year retention period, the most appropriate action is to securely delete the records using overwriting. This ensures that the data is irrecoverable while maintaining compliance with data disposal policies. Overwriting with multiple passes (e.g., using the Gutmann method or DoD 5220.22-M standard) prevents data remanence, which is critical for financial records.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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