Evidence Collection and Preservation Questions

Covers the full lifecycle of handling evidentiary materials with emphasis on digital evidence and legal admissibility. Candidates should understand how to identify and secure an evidence scene, differentiate source types such as computers, storage media, mobile devices, network equipment, and cloud artifacts, and decide on appropriate power and access actions to avoid data loss. Includes hands on collection techniques such as use of write blockers, forensic imaging and logical versus physical acquisition, capturing volatile data, and preserving originals while working from verified copies. Emphasizes documentation requirements including detailed evidence logs, chain of custody records that document who handled evidence, when, and what actions were taken, hashing and verification to prove integrity, secure transport and storage, and proper storage conditions. Also covers legal and procedural topics such as standards for admissibility, consequences of contamination, coordination with legal counsel and law enforcement, differences between internal investigations and evidence intended for litigation, issuance of legal holds and preservation orders, and maintaining audit trails for review and courtroom presentation.