D) May seem extreme, but it's the only method that guarantees complete irrecoverability, especially with modern storage technologies like SSDs where data can persist in spare blocks even after secure erasure.
Degaussing: Uses a strong magnetic field to erase data on magnetic media (hard drives, tapes). Renders the device unusable.
Shredding: Physically cuts the storage device into small pieces.
Incineration: Burns the device at high temperatures until it's destroyed.
Pulverization: Crushes or grinds the device into powder. Highly effective for complete data destruction.
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Using specialized file shredding software: While effective in most cases, advanced forensic techniques might still be able to recover fragments of data, especially if the software wasn't used correctly or didn't perform enough overwrites.
Performing a low-level format: While this process rewrites the drive, it's not foolproof. Specialized data recovery tools might still be able to retrieve some data, especially on older drives.
Using built-in secure delete or disk encryption features: Secure delete features are better than simply deleting files, but they rely on the operating system and file system to function as intended. Disk encryption protects data while the drive is not mounted, but if the decryption key is compromised, the data is accessible. Also, if the drive is physically recovered from a damaged machine, the encryption may be bypassed.