- A
Document the chain of custody with the collector, date, time, device condition, and transfer history.
This is essential because admissibility depends on showing who handled the evidence, when they handled it, and whether it remained intact. Detailed chain-of-custody records help prove the item was not altered or contaminated. Courts and legal teams rely on this documentation to establish integrity from collection through storage and analysis.
- B
Place the laptop in a tamper-evident bag or seal and record the seal number.
Sealing the device helps demonstrate that the evidence was protected from unauthorized access during transport and storage. Recording the seal number provides an easy way to verify integrity later and detect tampering. This is a standard preservation step when evidence may be scrutinized in legal proceedings.
- C
Browse the user’s files to confirm whether the laptop contains stolen documents.
Why wrong: Opening files before proper forensic handling can change metadata, create access artifacts, and weaken the evidentiary value of the device. In a legal case, investigators should minimize interaction with the original evidence and use approved forensic methods after preservation is complete.
- D
Remove the hard drive and place it in an unmarked box for convenience.
Why wrong: Removing components without documenting the process can break chain of custody and complicate later analysis. An unmarked box provides no integrity assurance and makes tracking harder. The evidence should be sealed, labeled, and recorded in a formal transfer process.
- E
Let the employee continue using the laptop until legal staff are available.
Why wrong: Allowing continued use risks overwriting evidence, introducing changes, and creating questions about integrity. When litigation or theft investigations are involved, the device should be secured promptly and handled under controlled evidence procedures.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company-owned laptop is suspected in an insider theft case and legal says the evidence may be used in court. Which two actions best support evidence admissibility during transport to the evidence locker? Select two.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Document the chain of custody with the collector, date, time, device condition, and transfer history.
Option A is correct because documenting the chain of custody establishes a clear, unbroken record of who handled the evidence, when, and under what conditions. This is critical for admissibility in court, as it demonstrates that the evidence has not been tampered with or altered since collection. Without proper chain-of-custody documentation, the defense could argue that the laptop's integrity was compromised, potentially rendering the evidence inadmissible.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Document the chain of custody with the collector, date, time, device condition, and transfer history.
Why this is correct
This is essential because admissibility depends on showing who handled the evidence, when they handled it, and whether it remained intact. Detailed chain-of-custody records help prove the item was not altered or contaminated. Courts and legal teams rely on this documentation to establish integrity from collection through storage and analysis.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Place the laptop in a tamper-evident bag or seal and record the seal number.
Why this is correct
Sealing the device helps demonstrate that the evidence was protected from unauthorized access during transport and storage. Recording the seal number provides an easy way to verify integrity later and detect tampering. This is a standard preservation step when evidence may be scrutinized in legal proceedings.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Browse the user’s files to confirm whether the laptop contains stolen documents.
Why it's wrong here
Opening files before proper forensic handling can change metadata, create access artifacts, and weaken the evidentiary value of the device. In a legal case, investigators should minimize interaction with the original evidence and use approved forensic methods after preservation is complete.
- ✗
Remove the hard drive and place it in an unmarked box for convenience.
Why it's wrong here
Removing components without documenting the process can break chain of custody and complicate later analysis. An unmarked box provides no integrity assurance and makes tracking harder. The evidence should be sealed, labeled, and recorded in a formal transfer process.
- ✗
Let the employee continue using the laptop until legal staff are available.
Why it's wrong here
Allowing continued use risks overwriting evidence, introducing changes, and creating questions about integrity. When litigation or theft investigations are involved, the device should be secured promptly and handled under controlled evidence procedures.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates might think previewing files is a valid investigative step, but in forensic evidence handling, any access to the original data must be done through a write-blocker and on a forensic copy, not by browsing the live system, to avoid altering evidence.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Chain of custody documentation typically includes a form or log that records each transfer of evidence, with signatures, timestamps, and a description of the evidence's condition. In forensic practice, this is often supplemented by cryptographic hashing (e.g., SHA-256) of the disk image to provide a verifiable fingerprint of the data at the time of collection. Tamper-evident bags or seals, when used with a unique seal number, provide a physical barrier that shows if the device has been opened, which is a standard requirement for maintaining evidence integrity in legal proceedings.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Document the chain of custody with the collector, date, time, device condition, and transfer history. — Option A is correct because documenting the chain of custody establishes a clear, unbroken record of who handled the evidence, when, and under what conditions. This is critical for admissibility in court, as it demonstrates that the evidence has not been tampered with or altered since collection. Without proper chain-of-custody documentation, the defense could argue that the laptop's integrity was compromised, potentially rendering the evidence inadmissible.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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