Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) — Question 7

You have completed a forensic investigation case. You would like to destroy the data contained in various disks at the forensics lab due to sensitivity of the case.
How would you permanently erase the data on the hard disk?

Answer options

• A. Throw the hard disk into the fire
• B. Run the powerful magnets over the hard disk
• C. Format the hard disk multiple times using a low level disk utility
• D. Overwrite the contents of the hard disk with Junk data

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A, as throwing the hard disk into the fire will destroy the physical components of the disk, making data recovery impossible. The other options may not effectively render the data unrecoverable; for example, using magnets (B) might not work on all types of drives, formatting (C) can be reversed, and overwriting with junk data (D) could potentially still allow for data recovery with advanced techniques.