312-39 Forensic Investigation And Malware Analysis Practice Question
When conducting a forensic investigation, you need to ensure the integrity of the collected digital evidence. What is the most critical step to perform immediately after copying the original media to a forensic workstation?
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
✓
Calculate a cryptographic hash of both
Calculating a cryptographic hash (MD5/SHA256) of the original and the copy confirms that the data has not been altered during the duplication process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Calculate a cryptographic hash of both
Why this is correct
Hashing ensures the chain of custody and data integrity.
- ✗
Mount the image read-write
Why it's wrong here
Mounting as read-write risks altering the forensic image.
- ✗
Run an antivirus scan
Why it's wrong here
Scanning might modify file timestamps and metadata.
- ✗
Rename the file
Why it's wrong here
Renaming changes the file's metadata and violates integrity.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 312-39 question from scratch — 201 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This 312-39 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 312-39 exam.