Which of the following hard drive sanitation methods provides an organization with the GREATEST level of assurance that data has been permanently erased?

Which of the following hard drive sanitation methods provides an organization with the GREATEST level of assurance that data has been permanently erased?
A . Degaussing the drive
B . Factory resetting the drive
C . Crypto-shredding the drive
D . Reformatting the drive

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Reference: https://allgreenrecycling.com/what-is-data-destruction/

Degaussing is a hard drive sanitation method that uses a powerful magnetic field to erase or destroy the data stored on a magnetic disk or tape. Degaussing provides an organization with the greatest level of assurance that data has been permanently erased, as it renders the data unrecoverable by any means and also damages the drive itself, making it unusable for future storage. The other options are not as effective as degaussing in ensuring permanent data erasure. Factory resetting is a hard drive sanitation method that restores the drive to its original settings and deletes the user data, but it may leave some traces of data that can be recovered by forensic tools or software. Crypto-shredding is a hard drive sanitation method that encrypts the data on the drive and then deletes the encryption key, making the data inaccessible, but it may not erase the data completely or prevent unauthorized access if the key is compromised or recovered. Reformatting is a hard drive sanitation method that changes the file system or structure of the drive and deletes the data, but it may not overwrite the data entirely or prevent data recovery by advanced tools or techniques1, p. 93-94

Reference: 1: CDPSE Review Manual (Digital Version)