Certified Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Professional (CCP) Practice Exam

What should occur before releasing media for reuse?

1. Updating the software on the media

2. Sanitizing or destroying information contained on the media

3. Creating backup copies of the data

4. Reviewing all user activity logs

The correct answer is: Sanitizing or destroying information contained on the media

Before releasing media for reuse, it is crucial to sanitize or destroy any information contained on the media. This step ensures that sensitive data is permanently removed or rendered unrecoverable, thereby preventing unauthorized access or data breaches. In the context of cybersecurity best practices, proper sanitization addresses risks associated with information leakage when the media is repurposed or handed over to other users. This process can involve various methods, such as data wiping or physical destruction of the media, depending on the sensitivity of the information and organizational policies. Ensuring that all data is fully sanitized before reuse protects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information and complies with data protection regulations and standards. Other considerations, such as updating software, creating backups, or reviewing user activity logs, are important in their own right but do not directly address the immediate requirement of safeguarding the information stored on the media prior to its reuse. These might be elements of overall data management and security practices, yet they do not substitute for the critical action of ensuring complete data sanitization.