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CAS-004 Practice Question: During a security incident, a forensic…
During a security incident, a forensic investigator needs to capture the contents of volatile memory on a compromised server. Which of the following tools should the investigator use?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that dd can be used for memory capture because it is a common Linux imaging tool, but dd is designed for block-level disk copying and cannot reliably access volatile memory without specialized drivers or kernel patches.
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
✓
FTK Imager (with memory capture)
FTK Imager with memory capture is the correct tool because it is specifically designed to acquire a bit-for-bit copy of volatile memory (RAM) from a live system while preserving forensic integrity. Unlike disk imaging tools, FTK Imager can capture the contents of physical memory, including running processes, network connections, and encryption keys, which are critical for incident response. This tool also generates a hash of the captured memory to ensure data integrity during analysis.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
dd
Why it's wrong here
dd is used for disk imaging, not memory acquisition.
- ✗
Wireshark
Why it's wrong here
Wireshark captures network packets, not memory contents.
- ✓
FTK Imager (with memory capture)
Why this is correct
FTK Imager can capture an image of physical memory (RAM) for analysis.
- ✗
Nmap
Why it's wrong here
Nmap is used for network discovery and port scanning.
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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.