Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
An investigator receives a suspect laptop drive that may be used in court. Which approach best supports a forensically sound image while protecting the original media?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Mount the drive read-write so the investigator can browse it quickly.
Read-write mounting risks modifying metadata, timestamps, or file system structures. That weakens the ability to prove the original drive was not altered.
B
Best answer
Use a hardware write blocker and create a bit-by-bit forensic image with hashes.
This is the best practice because a hardware write blocker prevents any accidental writes to the source drive, and a bit-by-bit image captures the exact data structure for analysis. Hashing the source or image before and after acquisition provides integrity verification, which is essential when evidence may be challenged later. Together, these steps protect the original media and support chain of custody and courtroom admissibility.
C
Distractor review
Copy only the user profile folders with a file manager to save time.
A file copy omits slack space, deleted data, and other artifacts that may be crucial in a forensic investigation. It also provides weaker integrity assurance than a complete forensic image.
D
Distractor review
Boot the laptop normally and use backup software to duplicate the disk.
Booting the system changes the evidence state, and backup software is not the same as forensic acquisition. The goal here is preservation, not convenience.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A laptop is suspected of being used in a malware incident. It is still powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. What should the responder do before shutting it down?
Question 2
An employee reports a ransomware note on a file server. The server is still powered on, shares are still being accessed, and management wants service restored as quickly as possible. What should the incident response team do first?
Question 3
An employee reports a ransomware note on a finance laptop. The laptop is still powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and the user says they were just working in a spreadsheet. Management wants the fastest safe response that also preserves evidence. What should the responder do first?
Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
A developer wants to reduce the risk of SQL injection in a new customer search form. Which two changes are the best mitigations? Select two.
Question 6
A branch office uses a flat LAN, and a compromise on one user workstation could spread quickly to finance systems. Management wants finance workstations isolated from general users, but finance staff still need access to a central finance application and network printer. What is the best design change?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a hardware write blocker and create a bit-by-bit forensic image with hashes. — A hardware write blocker combined with a bit-for-bit forensic image is the standard approach when evidence may be used in court. The write blocker keeps the original media unchanged, while the exact image preserves all sectors, including deleted data and unallocated space. Hashes provide a repeatable integrity check so investigators can prove the image matches the original acquisition. That combination best supports defensibility, repeatability, and chain-of-custody requirements. Why others are wrong: Mounting the drive read-write introduces risk of altering the evidence and can undermine admissibility. Copying only folders is incomplete because it misses deleted content and low-level artifacts. Booting the laptop normally can modify the drive simply by starting the operating system and generating new logs or metadata. Forensic acquisition should minimize changes and capture the source as faithfully as possible.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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