Free ISC2 CISSP Actual Exam Questions - Question 3 Discussion
DRAG DROP Place in order, from BEST (1) to WORST (4), the following methods to reduce the risk of data remanence on magnetic media. 
I think A has to be first because physical destruction completely eliminates any chance of recovery. D is next since overwriting is reliable for reuse but can still leave traces under some rare recovery methods. Between B and C, formatting (B) usually just resets file tables, so some data remains accessible, which is worse than just deleting files (C) because deletion at least removes pointers to the data, making it less visible. So I’d go A, D, C, B. Deleting files might be better than formatting for a quick cleanup, even though neither is truly secure.
I’d put A first since it completely destroys the media, then D because overwriting is solid but not perfect. B and C are way weaker since formatting or deleting doesn’t remove all data traces.
I think A is definitely the best since it’s permanent. After that, D makes sense because overwriting scrambles data well. B and C are weaker since formatting often leaves remnants. So 1-A, 2-D, 3-B, 4-C.
B is better than C since formatting removes file tables, making data harder to access.
I’m with those saying physical destruction (A) should be top since it completely prevents recovery. Overwriting (D) is good but can potentially be undone with advanced tools, so that’s second. Low-level formatting (B) just marks sectors as empty, so third. And obviously, no action (C) is worst since data stays intact. So A, D, B, then C feels right from a security standpoint.
Physical destruction (A) is best since it’s irreversible, then D, B, C.
I’d put A first since physical destruction is foolproof, then D, B, and C last.
Going with: D first, then B, A, and C last. Overwriting multiple times (D) seems more thorough than just low-level formatting (B), while physical destruction (A) is better than leaving it as-is (C). Makes sense?