Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What automated tool did Graham employ for extracting and analyzing deleted files from a suspected Windows system?

1. Autopsy

2. Wireshark

3. Disk Drill

4. Recuva

The correct answer is: Autopsy

Graham employed Autopsy for extracting and analyzing deleted files from a suspected Windows system because Autopsy is a powerful digital forensics platform specifically designed for conducting investigations. It offers an array of features that streamline the process of file recovery, analysis, and reporting. As an open-source tool, Autopsy integrates smoothly with various file systems and supports extensive functionalities like keyword search, timeline analysis, and visualization of evidence. Autopsy's capabilities make it particularly effective for forensic analysis, allowing investigators to recover deleted files while maintaining the integrity of the original data. This aligns well with common practices in digital forensics, where preserving evidence and maintaining a clear chain of custody is crucial. In contrast, tools like Wireshark are primarily used for network protocol analysis, making them unsuitable for direct file recovery or analysis on a filesystem. Disk Drill and Recuva are more focused on file recovery, but they do not offer the comprehensive suite of analytical capabilities that Autopsy provides for forensic investigations, particularly regarding handling artifacts and generating reports needed in a forensic context.