iSACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certification Practice Exam

What is the main purpose of digital forensics?

1. To reduce audit records

2. To present evidence in legal proceedings

3. To recover lost data

4. To monitor system performance

The correct answer is: To present evidence in legal proceedings

The primary purpose of digital forensics is to present evidence in legal proceedings. This field focuses on the systematic collection, preservation, analysis, and presentation of data from digital devices in a way that maintains its integrity and admissibility in a court of law. Evidence gathered through digital forensics can include data from computers, mobile devices, networks, and cloud environments, and is often crucial for investigations involving cybercrimes, fraud, or other offenses. While retrieving lost data is an important function of data recovery, that aspect is just a small part of what digital forensics encompasses. Similarly, monitoring system performance is more aligned with operational activities rather than investigative protocols, and reducing audit records does not directly relate to the goals of digital forensics. The focus here is on legal admissibility and the support of judicial processes, which is central to the discipline's practice.