Your organization is retiring a database server that stored proprietary formulas and customer PII. After completing a NIST SP 800-88-compliant purge on every SSD, the security officer still requires the drives to be passed through an industrial shredder before they leave the facility. According to accepted purposes for media destruction, which reason best justifies this additional shredding step?
To accelerate the recycling process by reducing the physical volume of e-waste and lowering transport costs.
To comply with environmental regulations that prohibit shipping lithium-based drives across state lines.
To guarantee that no residual data can be reconstructed, thereby safeguarding confidential information from future disclosure.
To restore the SSDs' firmware to a reusable state so they can be redeployed without performance degradation.
Physical destruction (e.g., shredding, crushing, incineration) is performed when an organization must guarantee that no residual data can ever be recovered from retired storage devices. Even when a purge or secure-erase operation is verified, hardware-level defects, hidden sectors, or later forensic advances could expose remaining bits. By rendering the media unreadable, the company eliminates the possibility of data leaks that could compromise intellectual property, regulated personal data, or other sensitive information. Logistics such as recycling efficiency, firmware restoration, or shipping restrictions are operational concerns-not recognized security purposes for media destruction.
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What is NIST SP 800-88?
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Why might residual data remain even after a secure erase or purge?
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What are the commonly used methods for media destruction?