Which security method would be best to use if extremely sensitive government information were stored on a hard drive that will no longer be used?
A) 1/0 rewrite software
B) Drill holes in the platters and smash the pieces with a hammer
C) Hold a magnet over each platter
D) Repartition the hard drive into multiple partitions using different file systems

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best method to ensure the security of sensitive government information stored on a hard drive that will no longer be used is physically destroying the hard drive. Option B, i.e. drilling holes in the platters and smashing the pieces with a hammer ensures that the data is completely and irretrievably destroyed. Option A, i.e. 1/0 rewrite software is not completely foolproof and there have been instances of data being recovered after being overwritten. Option C, i.e. holding a magnet over each platter may be effective in erasing the data but is not guaranteed to fully destroy it. Option D, i.e. repartitioning the hard drive into multiple partitions using different file systems does not completely remove the data and it can be recovered with specialized tools.

Which Security Method Would Be Best to Use If Extremely