What is the process for disposing of IT equipment that contains sensitive data?

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Multiple Choice

What is the process for disposing of IT equipment that contains sensitive data?

When IT equipment contains sensitive data, the priority is to ensure that information cannot be recovered. The proper approach is to perform data sanitization and secure destruction before disposal or turn-in. Data sanitization means using approved methods to make data unrecoverable, such as overwriting the drive, degaussing, or cryptographic erasure, chosen based on the media and data classification. After sanitization, proceed with disposal or secure destruction of the media as required by policy, and keep records of the process. Simply reformatting the drive is not enough—recovery tools can often retrieve data from reformatted media. Donating or selling equipment without wiping it creates a real risk of exposing sensitive information.

When IT equipment contains sensitive data, the priority is to ensure that information cannot be recovered. The proper approach is to perform data sanitization and secure destruction before disposal or turn-in. Data sanitization means using approved methods to make data unrecoverable, such as overwriting the drive, degaussing, or cryptographic erasure, chosen based on the media and data classification. After sanitization, proceed with disposal or secure destruction of the media as required by policy, and keep records of the process. Simply reformatting the drive is not enough—recovery tools can often retrieve data from reformatted media. Donating or selling equipment without wiping it creates a real risk of exposing sensitive information.

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