What are the two most appropriate binary analysis techniques to use in digital forensics analysis? (Choose two.)

In digital forensics, particularly when dealing with potentially malicious executables, binary analysis is crucial. The two primary and complementary techniques used are static and dynamic analysis. Static analysis involves examining the binary file without executing it, analyzing its code, strings, and structure to understand its potential functionality. Dynamic analysis involves running the binary in a controlled, isolated environment (a sandbox) to observe its actual behavior, such as network connections, file system modifications, and registry changes. Together, these methods provide a comprehensive understanding of a binary's purpose and impact.

A. Injection Analysis: This is a technique used in application security testing to find vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection), not a method for post-incident forensic analysis of a binary file.

B. Forensic Analysis: This is the broad discipline or process itself, not a specific technique for analyzing a binary. Static and dynamic analysis are techniques within the field of forensic analysis.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-83 Revision 1

Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling for Desktops and Laptops. Section 4.3

"Malware Analysis

" states: "There are two primary approaches to analyzing malware: static and dynamic. Static analysis is the process of analyzing malware without executing it... Dynamic analysis is the process of analyzing malware by executing it on a host and observing its behavior."

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Software Engineering Institute (SEI)

Introduction to Malware Analysis Course. The course curriculum is fundamentally divided into the two core methodologies. The course description outlines modules on "Static Analysis" (disassembly

identifying code structures) and "Dynamic Analysis" (using sandboxes

monitoring system calls

network traffic). This structure is standard in academic and professional malware analysis training. (Reference: CMU SEI Course Catalog for Malware Analysis).

3. Sikorski

M.

& Honig

A. (2012). Practical Malware Analysis: The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software. No Starch Press. This book is a standard textbook in numerous university cybersecurity courses (e.g.

Johns Hopkins University EN.650.664 Malware Analysis). Part II (Chapters 5-10) is dedicated entirely to "Static Analysis

" and Part III (Chapters 11-18) is dedicated to "Dynamic Analysis

" establishing them as the foundational techniques of the field.