Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI v10) — Question 607

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: D

Explanation

Overwriting the contents of the hard disk with junk data is the best method to ensure that the original data cannot be recovered, making option D the correct choice. Throwing the hard disk into a fire (option A) or using powerful magnets (option B) may damage the hardware but do not guarantee data destruction. Formatting the hard disk multiple times (option C) does not effectively prevent data recovery methods from accessing the original data.