Digital-Forensics-in-Cybersecurity Exam Questions and Answers (Page: 2)

QUESTION: 9

Which principle of evidence collection states that access to evidence must be tracked from the time it is seized through its use in court?

Evidence record
Chain of custody
Event log
Audit log

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The Chain of Custody (CoC) is the documented and unbroken transfer record of evidence handling, from seizure to presentation in court. It ensures that the evidence has been preserved, controlled, and protected from tampering or alteration.

Evidence record documents evidence details but is less formal than CoC.

Event log and audit log are system-generated records and do not replace the formal CoC.

CoC is a fundamental forensic principle as outlined by NIST SP 800-86 and the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) best practices, ensuring evidence admissibility and reliability in legal proceedings.

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QUESTION: 10

A forensics investigator is investigating a Windows computer which may be collecting data from other computers on the network.

Which Windows command line tool can be used to determine connections between machines?

Telnet
Xdetect
Openfiles
Netstat

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Netstat is a standard Windows command line utility that displays active network connections, routing tables, and network interface statistics. It is widely used in forensic investigations to identify current and past TCP/IP connections, including IP addresses and port numbers associated with remote hosts. This information helps investigators identify if the suspect computer has active connections to other machines potentially used for data collection or command and control.

Telnet is a protocol used to connect to remote machines but does not display current network connections.

Openfiles shows files opened remotely but not network connection details.

Xdetect is not a standard Windows tool and not recognized in forensic investigations.

Reference:

According to NIST SP 800-86 and SANS Digital Forensics guidelines, netstat is an essential tool for gathering network-related evidence during system investigations.

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QUESTION: 11

A forensic specialist is about to collect digital evidence from a suspect's computer hard drive. The computer is off.

What should be the specialist's first step?

Carefully review the chain of custody form.
Turn the computer on and remove any malware.
Make a forensic copy of the computer's hard drive.
Turn the computer on and photograph the desktop.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Before any action on evidence, especially when seizing or processing digital devices, the forensic specialist must first carefully review and document the chain of custody (CoC) to ensure proper handling and legal compliance. This includes verifying seizure procedures and documenting the status of the device before any interaction.

Turning the computer on prematurely risks altering or destroying volatile data.

Making a forensic copy (imaging) can only happen after proper documentation and preservation steps.

Photographing the desktop is relevant only after power-on but only if approved and documented.

This process aligns with NIST guidelines (SP 800-86) and the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) principles emphasizing preservation and documentation as foundational steps.

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QUESTION: 12

A forensic scientist is examining a computer for possible evidence of a cybercrime.

Why should the forensic scientist copy files at the bit level instead of the OS level when copying files from the computer to a forensic computer?

Copying files at the OS level fails to copy deleted files or slack space.
Copying files at the OS level takes too long to be practical.
Copying files at the OS level changes the timestamp of the files.
Copying files at the OS level will copy extra information that is unnecessary.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Bit-level (or bit-stream) copying captures every bit on the storage media, including files, deleted files, slack space (unused space within a cluster), and unallocated space. This ensures all digital evidence, including artifacts not visible at the OS level, is preserved for analysis.

Copying at the OS level captures only allocated files visible in the file system, missing deleted files and slack space.

Bit-level copying is a cornerstone of forensic best practices as specified in NIST SP 800-86 and SWGDE guidelines.

Timestamp changes and unnecessary information issues are secondary concerns compared to the completeness of evidence.

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QUESTION: 13

Which storage format is a magnetic drive?

CD-ROM
SATA
Blu-ray
SSD

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

SATA (Serial ATA) refers to an interface standard commonly used for connecting magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) to a computer. The term SATA itself describes the connection, but most HDDs that use SATA as an interface are magnetic drives.

CD-ROM and Blu-ray are optical storage media, not magnetic.

SSD (Solid State Drive) uses flash memory, not magnetic storage.

Magnetic drives rely on spinning magnetic platters, which are typically connected via SATA or other interfaces.

This differentiation is emphasized in digital forensic training and hardware documentation, including those from NIST and forensic hardware textbooks.

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QUESTION: 14

Which description applies to the Advanced Forensic Format (AFF)?

An open file standard developed by AccessData
A proprietary format used by the iLook tool
An open file standard used by Sleuth Kit and Autopsy
A proprietary format developed by Guidance Software

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The Advanced Forensic Format (AFF) is an open file format designed for storing disk images and related forensic metadata. It was developed by the Sleuth Kit community and is supported by forensic tools such as Sleuth Kit and Autopsy. AFF allows efficient storage, compression, and metadata annotation, which makes it suitable for forensic investigations.

AccessData is known for FTK format, not AFF.

iLook uses proprietary formats unrelated to AFF.

Guidance Software developed the EnCase Evidence File (E01) format.

AFF is widely recognized in open-source forensic toolchains.

Reference:

The AFF format and its use with Sleuth Kit and Autopsy are documented in digital forensics literature and the AFF official documentation, as endorsed by the NIST and forensic tool developer communities.

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QUESTION: 15

Which term describes the used space between the end of a file and the end of the last cluster assigned to the file?

Unallocated space
Volume slack
Host protected area
File slack

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

File slack is the space between the logical end of a file and the physical end of the last cluster allocated to the file. This space may contain residual data from previously deleted files or fragments, making it significant in forensic investigations.

Unallocated space refers to clusters not currently assigned to any file.

Volume slack includes slack space at the volume level but is less specific.

Host protected area is a reserved part of the disk for system use, unrelated to slack space.

File slack is a recognized forensic artifact often examined for hidden data or remnants.

Reference:

This concept is extensively described in forensic textbooks and NIST publications on file systems, including SP 800-86 and SWGDE best practices.

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QUESTION: 16

How is the Windows swap file, also known as page file, used?

Replaces bad sectors
Primarily for security
Augments the RAM
Reserved for system files

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The Windows swap file, or page file, is a system file used to extend physical memory by storing data that cannot fit into the RAM.
When RAM is full, the OS swaps inactive data pages to this file, thus augmenting RAM capacity.

It does not replace bad sectors; that function is for disk management utilities.

It is not primarily for security but for memory management.

It is not reserved exclusively for system files but is used dynamically for memory paging.

Reference:

Microsoft's official documentation and forensic guides like NIST SP 800-86 describe the page file's role in virtual memory management and its importance in forensic analysis because it may contain fragments of memory and sensitive information.

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WGU Digital-Forensics-in-Cybersecurity Exam (page: 2) WGU Digital Forensics in Cybersecurity (D431/C840) Course Updated on: 07-Feb-2026

QUESTION: 9

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QUESTION: 10

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QUESTION: 11

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QUESTION: 12

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QUESTION: 13

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QUESTION: 14

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QUESTION: 15

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QUESTION: 16

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WGU Digital-Forensics-in-Cybersecurity Exam (page: 2)
WGU Digital Forensics in Cybersecurity (D431/C840) Course
Updated on: 07-Feb-2026