WGU Digital-Forensics-in-Cybersecurity - Digital Forensics in Cybersecurity (D431/C840DQO1) Course Exam

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Network transaction logs capture records of network connections, including source and destination IP addresses, ports, and timestamps. These logs are essential in identifying the attacker’s origin and understanding the nature of the intrusion.

Network logs provide traceability back to the attacker.

Forensic procedures prioritize collecting network logs to identify unauthorized access.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Magnetic hard drives generally have a lower cost per gigabyte compared to solid-state drives (SSDs). However, they are more susceptible to mechanical damage and slower in data access.

SSDs have no moving parts and provide better durability and speed but at a higher price.

Forensics practitioners consider these differences during evidence acquisition.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

TheForwardedEventslog in Windows 7 is specifically designed to store events collected from remote computers via event forwarding. This log is part of the Windows Event Forwarding feature used in enterprise environments to centralize event monitoring.

TheSystemandApplicationlogs store local system and application events.

TheSecuritylog stores local security-related events.

ForwardedEventscollects and stores events forwarded from other machines.

Microsoft documentation and NIST SP 800-86 mention the use of ForwardedEvents for centralized event log collection in investigations.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Netstatis a command-line network utility tool used to monitor active network connections, open ports, and network routing tables. In the context of detecting data exfiltration potentially using steganographic methods, netstat can help a forensic investigator identify suspicious or unauthorized network connections through which hidden data may be leaving an organization.

While netstat itself does not detect steganography within files, it can be used to monitor data flows and connections to external hosts, which is critical for identifying channels where steganographically hidden data could be transmitted.

Data Encryption Standard (DES)is a cryptographic algorithm, not a forensic tool.

MP3Stegois a steganography tool for embedding data in MP3 files and is not designed for detection or monitoring.

Forensic Toolkit (FTK)is a forensic analysis software focused on acquiring and analyzing data from storage devices, not network monitoring.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) mandates telecommunications carriers to assist law enforcement in executing authorized wiretaps, including on Voice over IP (VoIP) calls, ensuring lawful interception capabilities.

CALEA requires built-in surveillance capabilities in communications systems.

It balances privacy rights with law enforcement needs.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The email messages, including headers and content, contain information about the phishing attempt, such as sender details and embedded links. Analyzing these messages can help trace the source of the scam and determine the method used to deceive the victim.

Email headers provide metadata for tracking the origin.

Forensic examination of emails is fundamental in investigating social engineering and phishing attacks.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Steganography is used to save or embed secret data within another file or medium, allowing covert communication without alerting observers to the presence of the data.

The goal is to conceal, not highlight or delete data.

It does not erase or delete secret data; instead, it hides it.

This aligns with standard definitions in cybersecurity and forensic literature including NIST's cybersecurity frameworks.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The/etcdirectory on Unix-based systems, including macOS, contains important system configuration files and scripts. It is the standard location for system-wide configuration data.

/varcontains variable data like logs and spool files.

/bincontains essential binary executables.

/cfgis not a standard directory in macOS.

This is standard Unix/Linux directory structure knowledge and is reflected in NIST and forensic references for macOS.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The browser cache stores recently accessed web pages, images, and cookies, which may include phishing site content and related activity. Investigators analyzing phishing attacks collect browser cache data to reconstruct the victim’s web activity and detect malicious sites.

Cached web pages help corroborate victim statements and establish timelines.

Browser history and cache are volatile and must be preserved promptly.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) uses the HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus) file system by default for its native storage volumes. HFS+ is Apple’s proprietary file system introduced in the late 1990s, designed for macOS.

ReiserFS is a Linux file system.

MFS (Macintosh File System) is an outdated file system replaced by HFS.

NTFS is a Windows file system.

This is well documented in Apple technical specifications and forensic analysis standards for macOS systems.