SSCP Security Operations and Administration Practice Question
A security administrator needs to dispose of hard drives that contain sensitive data. Which method provides the highest assurance that data cannot be recovered?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse 'erasing' with 'destroying' — candidates often pick degaussing because it sounds technical, but it does not provide the same assurance as physical shredding, especially for SSDs.
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 shredding the hard drives
Physically shredding the hard drives reduces them to small particles, making any recovery of magnetic or solid-state data physically impossible. This provides the highest level of assurance because the storage media itself is destroyed, not just the data on it. It is the recommended method for media containing highly sensitive data when reuse is not required.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deleting all files and emptying the recycle bin
Why it's wrong here
Deleting files and emptying the recycle bin only removes directory entries, leaving the underlying data blocks intact and recoverable with forensic tools. It is adequate for routine housekeeping on non-sensitive media, but not for sanitising drives holding sensitive data where recovery must be prevented.
- ✗
Performing a quick format of the drive
Why it's wrong here
A quick format rewrites file system metadata only, leaving the original data blocks readable by recovery utilities. It is suitable for preparing a drive for immediate reuse where no sensitive remnants exist, but it provides no assurance that sensitive data cannot be recovered afterwards.
- ✓
Physically shredding the hard drives
Why this is correct
Physical shredding reduces the drive to fragments, so platters and controller chips cannot be read by any laboratory technique. Degaussing leaves solid-state media and some high-coercivity platters intact, and overwriting can miss bad sectors. Shredding therefore satisfies the stem's demand for the highest assurance of unrecoverable data.
- ✗
Using a degausser to erase magnetic data
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing destroys magnetic alignment, but it renders modern high-capacity perpendicular and self-encrypting drives unusable and may leave data on flash or hybrid media. It is the right method for bulk magnetic tape and legacy drives where reuse is not required, not where the highest assurance across drive types is demanded.
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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 SSCP 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 SSCP exam.