hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: During an incident response, a forensics analyst…
During an incident response, a forensics analyst captures a memory dump from a compromised server. The analyst needs to ensure the dump is not altered during analysis. Which practice best maintains integrity?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse confidentiality controls (encryption, access restriction) with integrity controls (hashing), and assuming that a chain of custody log alone proves integrity, when it only documents handling.
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
✓
Generate a cryptographic hash of the dump before analysis
Generating a cryptographic hash of the memory dump before analysis creates a fixed-length digest that acts as a unique fingerprint of the data. Any subsequent modification, even a single bit flip, will produce a completely different hash value, allowing the analyst to verify the dump has not been altered. This is the standard method for proving integrity in forensic investigations, as required by evidence handling procedures.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Encrypt the memory dump file
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects confidentiality of the dump at rest, not its integrity during analysis. Integrity is verified by computing a cryptographic hash of the image and re-checking it after each examination. Encryption would be correct when the dump must be stored or transferred securely.
- ✗
Maintain a chain of custody log
Why it's wrong here
A chain of custody log documents who handled evidence and when, but does not itself prevent alteration of the dump. Integrity is preserved by hashing the image and verifying the digest. Chain of custody would be correct for demonstrating evidence continuity in court.
- ✗
Restrict access to the dump to authorized personnel only
Why it's wrong here
Restricting access limits who can touch the dump, but an authorised analyst could still alter it undetected. Integrity requires hashing the image and comparing digests before and after analysis. Access restriction would be correct for preserving confidentiality of sensitive evidence.
- ✓
Generate a cryptographic hash of the dump before analysis
Why this is correct
Hashing the dump with a cryptographic algorithm such as SHA-256 produces a fixed digest; re-hashing after analysis proves the bits are unchanged. This satisfies the stem's integrity constraint, since any alteration during examination would yield a different hash value.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Incident Response and Management
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
Key term
Incident response
Incident response is the structured approach an organization uses to identify, contain, and recover from cybersecurity incidents like data breaches or ransomware attacks.
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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.