CISSP Asset Security Practice Question
Which phase of the data lifecycle includes the act of securely deleting data that is no longer needed, in accordance with retention policies?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISSP often tests confusion between Archive (long-term retention for future access) and Destroy (irreversible secure disposal), so candidates pick Archive thinking retention equals eventual deletion.
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
✓
Destroy
The Destroy phase of the data lifecycle is explicitly the stage where data is securely deleted once it is no longer needed and retention policies permit disposal. It covers techniques like cryptographic erasure, degaussing, shredding, and secure overwrite, ensuring data cannot be recovered. This is the terminal phase before the lifecycle restarts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Store
Why it's wrong here
The Store phase of the data lifecycle focuses on maintaining data in a secure repository, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability while it is at rest. This involves implementing controls such as encryption, access controls, and robust backup strategies to protect data over its active retention period. It is concerned with persistent safeguarding and management, not the final act of irreversible removal.
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Share
Why it's wrong here
The Share phase involves securely transmitting or providing access to data to authorized individuals or systems. This stage requires implementing security measures like secure communication protocols (e.g., TLS), digital rights management, and strong authentication to prevent unauthorized disclosure during data transfer or collaborative use. Its primary objective is controlled dissemination, not the ultimate disposal of data assets.
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Archive
Why it's wrong here
The Archive phase is dedicated to the long-term, cost-effective retention of data that is no longer actively used but must be preserved for regulatory, legal, or historical compliance. While data is moved to a separate, often less accessible storage medium, the fundamental purpose is preservation and potential retrieval, not the permanent and irreversible eradication or destruction of the data from existence.
- ✓
Destroy
Why this is correct
The Destroy phase is the critical final stage of the data lifecycle, specifically encompassing the secure and irreversible removal of data from all storage media. This involves employing methods like degaussing, cryptographic erasure, or physical destruction (e.g., shredding, pulverizing) to ensure data cannot be reconstructed or recovered. This phase directly addresses the act of secure deletion, preventing unauthorized access after data's useful life has ended.
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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.