hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: During a security incident, a forensic analyst…
During a security incident, a forensic analyst needs to acquire the contents of RAM from a live system. Which tool should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse forensic acquisition targets — candidates may pick dd because it is a well-known imaging tool, forgetting that RAM requires a live memory dumper, not a disk imager.
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
✓
Memory dump tool like DumpIt
DumpIt is a purpose-built memory acquisition tool that captures the contents of volatile RAM on a live Windows system, preserving evidence such as running processes, encryption keys, and network connections. RAM contents are lost on power-off, so a live memory dump tool is required. Disk cloning, network capture, and antivirus scanning do not capture volatile memory.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disk cloning tool like dd
Why it's wrong here
dd images block storage, capturing disk sectors rather than volatile memory contents. It is tempting because dd is the standard acquisition tool for disks, and it would be correct for preserving a drive before analysis. RAM requires a memory-specific acquisition tool run on the live host.
- ✗
Network monitoring tool like Wireshark
Why it's wrong here
Wireshark captures network packets traversing an interface, not the resident contents of RAM. It is tempting because it runs on live systems and captures volatile data, and it would be correct for reconstructing network-based activity. Memory acquisition needs a dedicated tool reading physical memory.
- ✓
Memory dump tool like DumpIt
Why this is correct
DumpIt captures volatile memory contents on a running Windows host, preserving processes, network connections and injected code that vanish on shutdown. This satisfies the live-system RAM acquisition constraint, where disk imaging or static analysis tools would miss volatile artefacts entirely.
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Antivirus scanner
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus scanners inspect files and processes for malicious signatures; they cannot dump volatile memory contents. They are tempting because they run on live endpoints and can quarantine malware, which is the correct tool when the task is detecting or removing known threats rather than preserving RAM for forensic analysis.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Security Components and Controls
Key term
Incident
An incident is a security event that violates an organization's policies or threatens its data, systems, or operations, requiring a structured response.
Key term
Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting readable data into a secret code to prevent unauthorized access.
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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 ISC2 exam blueprint
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.