CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is collecting evidence from a compromised workstation. Which of the following should be collected first to preserve volatile data?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Memory dump
Volatile data includes memory contents, network connections, and running processes. Memory is the most volatile and should be captured first.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Memory dump
Why this is correct
Memory is volatile and must be captured before power loss.
- ✗
Hard drive image
Why it's wrong here
Hard drive is non-volatile and can be imaged later.
- ✗
Network capture
Why it's wrong here
Network traffic is volatile, but memory is typically collected first as per order of volatility.
- ✗
Event logs
Why it's wrong here
Logs are stored on disk and are less volatile.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 968 original CAS-005 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAS-005 exam.