Computer Forensics StudyGuide
The term "bit" is short for?
Binary digit
Hardware
Consists of the physical material that comprises a computer
Visible Data
Data from a computer that is openly visible and available to users
Temporary Files
Files temporarily written by an application to perform a function
What is not considered a software?
Floppy discs
The ultimate goal of obtaining an image of a hard disk drive is to?
Obtain information without altering the drive in any way
The first thing a crime scene investigator should do when enchanting computer forensic evidence is ?
Procure a warrant to search
Software
Programs and operations that are used by a computer
A cluster is a group of ______ in multiples of ______?
Sectors, two
Bit
Short for binary digit; takes the form of either a one or a zero, and is the smallest unit of information on a machine
One should not search for visible data in which of the following?
Temporary files
RAM Slack
The area beginning at the end of the logical file and terminating at the end of that sector; in some older operating systems, this area is padded with information in RAM
File Slack
The area that begins at the end of the last sector that contains logical data and terminates at the end of the cluster
Central Processing Unit
The central component of a computer where all of the data is processed
The primary form of data storage within a personnel computer is which of the following?
The hard disk drives
Hard Disk Drive
The location in a computer where data is stored and retrieved
Random Access Memory
The location in a computer where the operating system that is in use can be stored and retrieved for quick reference by the CPU
What is not considered a hardware device?
The operating system
Motherboard
The primary board that contains the circuitry for the computer
Partition
The process of dividing a hard disc drive into different independent sections
Sector
The smallest unit of data addressable by a hard disk drive, generally consisting of 512 bytes
Operating System
The software that directs basic functions and operations within a computer
Unallocated Space
The space on a hard drive that contains available space; the space may also contain temporary and deleted files
Which of the following is one of the most common places to begin to look for evidential data?
The spreadsheet files
Which of the following is the best definition of latent data?
Those data that are hidden from view
Latent Data
Areas of files and disks that are typically not apparent to the computer user (and often not to the operating system), but contain data nonetheless
Internet
A computer network that provides information globally
Swap File
A file or defined space on the HDD to which data is written, or swapped, to free RAM for applications that are in use
Byte
A group of eight bits
Cluster
A group of sectors in multiples of two, typically the minimum space allocated in a file
Message Digest 5 Secure Hash Algorithm
A software algorithm used to "fingerprint" a file or contents of a disk; used to verify the integrity of data
