CHFI Evidence Acquisition and Duplication Practice Question
An investigator must acquire a 2 TB USB 3.0 external hard drive as evidence in a fraud case. The drive contains a single NTFS volume with 500 GB of allocated data. The investigator needs to create a forensic image that captures all allocated and unallocated space, and the acquisition must be completed as quickly as possible while maintaining evidential integrity. Which acquisition method should the investigator use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a logical image or sparse acquisition is sufficient because it captures the visible files, but it misses unallocated space where deleted evidence often resides.
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
✓
Create a physical image using a hardware write blocker and FTK Imager in E01 format
A physical image captures every sector, including unallocated space, which is essential for recovering deleted evidence in a fraud case. A hardware write blocker ensures the source drive is not altered, preserving evidential integrity. E01 compression reduces storage and transfer time compared to raw formats, addressing the speed requirement. Logical or sparse acquisitions would omit critical areas, making them unsuitable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a sparse acquisition that only copies allocated clusters
Why it's wrong here
A sparse acquisition skips unallocated space, which may contain deleted files, hidden data, or remnants of fraudulent activity. While faster, it does not meet the requirement to capture all allocated and unallocated space. It is not a full forensic image and could be challenged in court for incompleteness.
- ✗
Create a logical image of the NTFS volume using EnCase Logical Evidence File (LEF)
Why it's wrong here
A logical evidence file captures only selected files and folders, not the entire volume including unallocated space. This would miss deleted files, slack space, and other artifacts critical to a fraud investigation. It is also not a full forensic image, so it fails the requirement to capture all allocated and unallocated space.
- ✗
Use the dd command with a software write blocker to create a raw image
Why it's wrong here
While dd with a software write blocker can create a raw image, software write blockers are less reliable than hardware ones and can be bypassed by certain drivers. Additionally, raw images are uncompressed and would be 2 TB in size, making the acquisition slower and storage-intensive. This does not meet the speed requirement as effectively as compressed E01.
- ✓
Create a physical image using a hardware write blocker and FTK Imager in E01 format
Why this is correct
A physical image captures every sector, including allocated and unallocated space, preserving all potential evidence. Using a hardware write blocker prevents any writes to the source drive, maintaining integrity. FTK Imager with E01 compression reduces file size and is a standard forensic format, making this the correct choice for speed and completeness.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Forensic Investigation Process and Methodology
Key term
Evidence Admissibility
Evidence admissibility is the legal and technical standard that determines whether digital evidence can be used in a court of law.
Key term
EnCase Forensic
EnCase Forensic is a digital forensics software suite used by investigators to acquire, analyze, and report on data from computers and mobile devices in a legally admissible way.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CHFI practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CHFI exam.