Permanent removal of data from a device using methods such as wiping software or degaussing is called?

• A. Data Wiping
• B. Data Deletion
• C. Data Recovery
• D. Data Masking

Answer: (A)

Permanent data destruction means making information unrecoverable on a device. Wiping software and degaussing are two methods used to achieve that: wiping overwrites the storage with patterns to erase data, and degaussing demagnetizes magnetic storage so the data can’t be read. Among the terms, data wiping specifically denotes the secure erasure process that aims for permanent removal. Data deletion can be unreliable for true erasure, leaving data recoverable. Data recovery is about retrieving lost data, not destroying it. Data masking hides data that’s in use but doesn’t remove it. So, the best fit for permanent removal is data wiping.