- A
To prove that the evidence has not been tampered with and is admissible in legal proceedings
Correct. Chain of custody provides a documented history to show evidence integrity.
- B
To determine the cost of the forensic investigation
Why wrong: Cost tracking is unrelated to chain of custody.
- C
To ensure the hard drive is stored in a secure location
Why wrong: Storage is part of chain of custody but not the primary reason.
- D
To track the productivity of forensic analysts
Why wrong: Productivity tracking is not the purpose of chain of custody.
Question 940 of 1,000
SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of incident response and recovery. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Chain of custody documentation typically includes timestamps, digital signatures, and hash values (e.g., MD5 or SHA-256) at each transfer point to create a verifiable audit trail. In forensic practice, even a single undocumented gap can render evidence inadmissible under the Daubert standard or Frye test, as the opposing counsel can argue spoliation or contamination. Tools like EnCase or FTK automatically generate chain of custody logs with hash verification to support this process.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Incident Response and Recovery — This question tests Incident Response and Recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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