Recoverable or Gone? — TechKnowSurge

About this interactive

Deleting a file does not delete the data. It removes the file from the allocation table and marks its clusters as available. The data stays in those clusters until something new is written over it, which can take a long time, and anyone with a scanning program can collect it. Deleting a partition or a volume, or making a new one in its place, only removes the structure; the data is still there. To get rid of the data before a drive leaves your hands, you have three choices. Wiping software writes ones and zeros over every cluster, and the drive can be used again. Degaussing runs strong magnets over magnetic media and scrambles the bits. Physical destruction, a hammer or a drill through the platters, makes sure the drive can never be read again; make sure it is properly destroyed. One correction to the video: it says degaussed media can be used again. Degaussing a modern hard drive also erases the servo tracks it needs to find its data, so the drive is finished. If you want to reuse the drive, use wiping software.

What you'll learn

Decide whether data on an old hard drive could still be recovered: deleting files, partitions or volumes leaves it there until it is written over; overwriting software, degaussing or physical destruction removes it

Aligned to

CompTIA Tech+

6.2 Explain methods to secure devices and best practices.

6.1 Summarize confidentiality, integrity, and availability concerns.

CompTIA A+ Core 2

2.8 Given a scenario, use common data destruction and disposal methods.

Key terms

Data Destruction: The process of permanently eliminating data from storage media through physical damage or overwriting to prevent unauthorized recovery.
Data Wiping: A software-based method of overwriting existing data on storage media with patterns of ones and zeros to prevent recovery.
Degaussing: The use of a strong magnetic field to erase data stored on magnetic media, rendering the storage device unusable.
Physical Destruction: The process of physically dismantling or shredding storage media to make data recovery impossible.

Topics

Data Destruction Data Wiping Degaussing Secure Disposal Interactive Streak Sort

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