Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

In an email crime investigation, after seizing a computer, what is the next step a forensic specialist should take?

1. Investigate the computer's physical condition

2. Acquire the email data

3. Review the email accounts on the server

4. Conduct user interviews

The correct answer is: Acquire the email data

The correct approach in this scenario is to acquire the email data after seizing a computer during an email crime investigation. This step is crucial as it involves creating a forensically sound copy of the relevant data, ensuring that the original evidence remains unchanged. By acquiring the email data, the forensic specialist can analyze the emails, attachments, metadata, and any other relevant content or logs that could provide insights into the crime. This stage is essential for preserving the integrity of the evidence and for ensuring that it can be used in legal proceedings. Acquiring the data preserves the state of the evidence at the moment of seizure, which is critical for maintaining a valid chain of custody. Additionally, this step allows forensic analysts to utilize specialized tools and techniques to extract and analyze the required information without risking alteration or loss of data. The subsequent steps, such as investigating the physical condition of the computer, reviewing server-side email accounts, or conducting user interviews, could follow the data acquisition phase. However, these steps would not take precedence over the acquisition of email data as it forms the foundation of any forensic investigation related to email crimes.