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What is data destruction?
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Data destruction is the process of completely removing data from storage so it can’t be recovered.
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Why is data sanitization important before repurposing or recycling media?
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It ensures no old data is left behind, protecting against unauthorized access.
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What happens when data is marked as "deleted" on hard drives or SSDs?
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The data isn’t actually gone; it’s just marked as available for new data, making it recoverable.
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What is the purpose of erasing/wiping a disk?
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It overwrites the data on the disk, making it unrecoverable.
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How effective is erasing/wiping data on SSDs compared to HDDs?
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It works well on HDDs but is less reliable on SSDs.
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What is low-level formatting, and how does it sanitize data?
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It resets a disk to its factory state and may erase data.
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What is Secure Erase (SE)?
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Secure Erase removes all data from an HDD and erases SSD data over time.
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What does Instant Secure Erase (ISE) / Crypto Erase do?
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It destroys the encryption key on Self-Encrypting Drives, making data inaccessible.
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How does encryption improve data destruction?
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Encrypting data and then destroying the encryption key ensures it stays secure.
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What is physical destruction, and when is it used?
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Physical destruction (e.g., shredding or incinerating) is used when a device can no longer be reused and must be completely destroyed.
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What is degaussing, and which media types is it effective on?
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Degaussing uses magnets to erase data on HDDs but doesn’t work on SSDs or CDs/DVDs.
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What is a Certificate of Destruction?
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It’s a document showing the details of the destroyed device and how it was destroyed.
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When should a Certificate of Recycling be issued?
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It’s given when data destruction methods like overwriting or crypto-erase confirm data is unrecoverable.
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What should be considered when physically destroying a disk using hand tools?
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Wear goggles for safety, but this method may still leave fragments that could be analyzed.
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What is the best practice for secure data destruction?
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Use specialized tools or certified vendors to ensure data is fully destroyed.