SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
A security analyst receives a chain of custody form for a hard drive that was seized from a suspected insider threat. The form shows that the drive was handled by three individuals over two days. Which of the following is the PRIMARY reason for maintaining a chain of custody?
⚠ Common exam trap
(ISC)² often tests the distinction between the legal necessity of chain of custody (admissibility) versus operational tasks like storage or cost tracking, leading candidates to confuse a supporting activity (secure storage) with the primary purpose.
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
✓
To prove that the evidence has not been tampered with and is admissible in legal proceedings
The chain of custody is a documented chronological record of evidence handling, which is essential to demonstrate that the hard drive has not been altered, damaged, or substituted since seizure. Without this unbroken record, the evidence could be challenged as inadmissible in court under rules like the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) 901, which require authentication. This is the primary reason because legal admissibility hinges on proving integrity and continuity of custody.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
To prove that the evidence has not been tampered with and is admissible in legal proceedings
Why this is correct
Correct. Chain of custody provides a documented history to show evidence integrity.
- ✗
To determine the cost of the forensic investigation
Why it's wrong here
Cost tracking is unrelated to chain of custody.
- ✗
To ensure the hard drive is stored in a secure location
Why it's wrong here
Storage is part of chain of custody but not the primary reason.
- ✗
To track the productivity of forensic analysts
Why it's wrong here
Productivity tracking is not the purpose of chain of custody.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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