CISSP Asset Security Practice Question
A financial services firm stores customer account data on a storage area network (SAN). The data is replicated to a secondary site for disaster recovery. The security team must ensure that when data is no longer needed, it is securely destroyed in accordance with the data retention policy. The primary site uses SSD-based storage, while the secondary site uses traditional HDDs. Which data destruction method is most appropriate for the SSD-based primary site?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that overwriting works the same on SSDs as on HDDs, overlooking wear leveling and spare blocks.
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
✓
Cryptographic erasure (crypto-shredding)
Cryptographic erasure is the most appropriate method for SSDs because it leverages encryption to render data unrecoverable by destroying the keys. Unlike overwriting, which is unreliable on SSDs due to wear leveling, crypto-shredding ensures that all data, including that in spare blocks, becomes inaccessible. It is also efficient and allows for secure disposal without physical destruction.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Physical shredding of the SSDs
Why it's wrong here
Physical shredding is an effective method for destroying SSDs, but it is typically used for media that is being disposed of and cannot be reused. In this scenario, the SSDs are in a primary site that may need to be redeployed or returned to a vendor; shredding would be overly destructive and costly. The question asks for the most appropriate method, implying a balance of security and practicality.
- ✓
Cryptographic erasure (crypto-shredding)
Why this is correct
Cryptographic erasure involves destroying the encryption keys used to encrypt the data, rendering the data unrecoverable. For SSDs, where overwriting is unreliable due to wear leveling and spare blocks, crypto-shredding is a recommended method. It ensures that even if residual data remains, it cannot be decrypted, satisfying secure destruction requirements.
- ✗
Degaussing the SSDs
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing uses a strong magnetic field to erase data on magnetic media such as HDDs and tapes. SSDs store data in flash memory chips, which are not magnetic; therefore, degaussing would have no effect on the data and could damage the drive. This method is inappropriate for SSDs and would not meet the requirement for secure destruction.
- ✗
Overwriting with a single pass of random data
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting with a single pass is generally ineffective on SSDs because wear leveling and internal controller algorithms may write data to different physical blocks, leaving original data intact in spare areas. This method does not guarantee that all data is overwritten, so it fails to securely destroy the data on SSDs.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Asset Security: Privacy and Data Retention
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting readable data into a secret code to prevent unauthorized access.
About these practice questions
This CISSP question is part of Courseiva's 816-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.