Which of the following options should MOST likely be considered when preserving data from a hard drive for forensic analysis? (Select TWO).

When preserving data from a hard drive for forensic analysis, the two most critical considerations are Chain of Custody and Data Integrity. The chain of custody provides a chronological record of everyone who has handled the evidence, which is essential for its admissibility in legal proceedings. Data integrity ensures that the collected evidence is an exact, unaltered copy of the original data. This is typically verified by creating a bit-for-bit image of the drive and using cryptographic hashes (e.g., SHA-256) to prove that the copy is identical to the source and has not been tampered with.

A. Licensing agreements: These pertain to the legal use of software and are irrelevant to the procedural requirements of handling digital evidence.
C. Incident management documentation: This is a broad category; chain of custody is a specific and mandatory component within it for handling evidence.
E. Material safety data sheet: This document relates to hazardous physical materials and has no relevance to the preservation of digital data.
F. Retention requirements: These policies define how long data should be stored, which is a consideration for after the data has been preserved, not during the preservation process itself.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Special Publication 800-86

"Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response."

For Data Integrity (D): Section 2.3.2

"Collecting Data

" page 12

states

"Cryptographic hashes... should be calculated for all collected data... This is important for maintaining the integrity of the collected data."

For Chain of Custody (B): Section 2.3.3

"Handling Data

" page 13

specifies

"A chain of custody form should be used for all evidence that is collected... The chain of custody form documents who handled the evidence and when they handled it."

2. Carrier

B. (2003). "Defining digital forensic examination and analysis tools." Digital Investigation

1

2-12.

This foundational academic paper discusses the scientific methodology required for digital forensics

emphasizing that processes must be repeatable and verifiable to ensure the integrity of the evidence (supporting option D). The concept of documenting the process is integral to establishing a verifiable chain of custody (supporting option B). (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1742-2876(03)00003-300003-3))