First response to an incident may involve three different groups of people, and each will have differing skills and need to carry out differing tasks based on the incident. Who is responsible for collecting, preserving, and packaging electronic evidence?

Forensic laboratory staff are the designated professionals with the specialized training, methodologies, and tools required to correctly collect, preserve, and package electronic evidence. Their role is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the digital evidence and ensuring a legally defensible chain of custody. While other groups are involved in an incident response, the specific, technical tasks of evidence handling fall to forensic specialists to prevent spoliation (alteration or destruction of evidence) and ensure its admissibility in legal or disciplinary proceedings.

A. System administrators: Their primary role is initial incident containment and system stabilization; they typically lack the specialized training to handle evidence without risking contamination.
B. Local managers or other non-forensic staff: They are responsible for coordinating the response and making business decisions, not performing the highly technical tasks of forensic evidence collection.
D. Lawyers: They provide legal counsel and utilize the collected evidence for legal strategy but are not responsible for the technical collection and preservation process.

1. Kent, K., Chevalier, S., Grance, T., & Dang, H. (2006). Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response (NIST Special Publication 800-86). National Institute of Standards and Technology. In Section 2.3.2, "Forensic Investigators," it is stated that these specialists "are responsible for collecting and analyzing evidence." The document emphasizes that personnel performing collection must be properly trained.

2. Nelson, B., Phillips, A., & Steuart, C. (2015). Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations (5th ed.). Cengage Learning. This text, widely used in university curricula, specifies in Chapter 1, "Understanding the Digital Forensics Profession and Investigations," that the forensic examiner's role includes the systematic and methodical collection and preservation of digital evidence according to established protocols.

3. Carrier, B. (2005). File System Forensic Analysis. Addison-Wesley Professional. In Chapter 2, "Digital Investigation Process Models," the author outlines the process, where the "Collection" phase involves creating a copy of the data for analysis, a task designated for a trained investigator to ensure data integrity.