Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What technique involves calculating cryptographic hashes of binary code to recognize its function?

1. File fingerprinting

2. Static analysis

3. Heuristic analysis

4. Dynamic analysis

The correct answer is: File fingerprinting

File fingerprinting is a technique that involves calculating cryptographic hashes of binary code to uniquely identify and verify the integrity of files. By generating a hash value for a piece of binary code, it creates a distinct digital "fingerprint" that can be used to recognize what the code does or determine if it has been altered. This method is vital in digital forensics and cybersecurity because it allows investigators to efficiently analyze and compare binary files against known signatures or previously analyzed data, enabling the identification of malware or other harmful code. In the context of other techniques, static analysis involves examining code without executing it, often looking at the structure and syntax rather than relying solely on fingerprints. Heuristic analysis focuses on detecting potential threats based on experience and behavior patterns, which is different from the direct identification of code based on its hash. Dynamic analysis, on the other hand, entails executing the code in a controlled environment to observe its behavior during runtime, which is not directly linked to hash calculations. Each of these methods serves a distinct purpose within digital forensics, but file fingerprinting specifically centers on the use of cryptographic hashes for identification.