hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Which THREE types of evidence are MOST important…
Which THREE types of evidence are MOST important to collect from a compromised Linux server during forensic acquisition?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often prioritize a full disk image (Option B) as the most critical evidence, overlooking that volatile data (processes, memory, logs) must be collected first to preserve evidence that disappears on shutdown, as per the order of volatility.
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
✓
List of running processes
A is correct because capturing a list of running processes from a compromised Linux server preserves volatile evidence of active malicious processes, such as reverse shells or cryptominers, that would be lost on shutdown. This aligns with the order of volatility (RFC 3227), which prioritizes capturing volatile data like process lists before acquiring less volatile evidence like disk images.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
List of running processes
Why this is correct
Processes show malicious activity.
- ✗
Full disk image
Why it's wrong here
Disk image is important but not the most volatile; order of volatility dictates memory first.
- ✗
Network packet captures
Why it's wrong here
Network captures are not always available and less volatile than memory.
- ✓
Contents of RAM (memory dump)
Why this is correct
Memory contains running processes and encryption keys.
- ✓
System log files
Why this is correct
Logs provide timeline and evidence of compromise.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 920 original SSCP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.