Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CHFI Practice Questions and Comprehensive Study Guide

Running an MD5 checksum on the evidence is a critical step in the data acquisition phase of a computer forensics investigation. This process is carried out to ensure the integrity of the data that has been collected. By calculating the MD5 checksum before and after the acquisition of data, investigators can verify that the data has not been altered or corrupted during the collection process.

Acquiring data involves creating an exact copy of the digital evidence, also known as an image, while maintaining its authenticity. The MD5 checksum acts as a unique identifier for the data set, allowing forensic investigators to confirm that the data remains intact and unchanged throughout the investigation. This practice is essential for ensuring that any findings presented in court are based on evidence that can be trusted, thus strengthening the investigation's credibility.

In contrast, the other steps in the methodology, such as obtaining a search warrant or evaluating and securing the scene, are focused on legal compliance and ensuring the integrity of the environment from which evidence is collected, rather than the integrity of the data itself. These preliminary steps are important, but they do not involve data verification using checksums, which is why they are not the correct choice for where MD5 checksums would be calculated.