Which term is described as a generic term that refers to the deletion or making data inaccessible?

• A. Data State
• B. Long-Term Retention
• C. Data Removal
• D. Data Destruction

Answer: (B)

When data needs to be deleted or made inaccessible, the term that fits is data destruction. This describes the process of sanitizing storage so that the data cannot be recovered, whether through deleting files, wiping drives, or securely erasing data. Data destruction emphasizes irrecoverability, which is exactly what “deletion or making data inaccessible” aims to achieve.

Data state refers to whether data is in use, at rest, or in transit, and doesn’t address removing or concealing data. Long-Term Retention focuses on keeping data for extended periods, not eliminating it. Data removal is a generic way to describe deleting data, but it doesn’t inherently guarantee irrecoverability; data destruction, by contrast, conveys the intention to make data unrecoverable.