Detective Sarah, a skilled digital forensics investigator, begins probing a compromised computer system linked to...

This question directly relates to CHFI v11 objectives under Data Acquisition and Duplication and the concept of order of volatility , which is formally defined in RFC 3227 (Guidelines for Evidence Collection and Archiving) . CHFI v11 stresses that forensic investigators must collect the most volatile data first, as it is the most likely to be lost or altered during system shutdowns or continued operation.

According to RFC 3227, the order of volatility starts with data that changes most rapidly, such as system state and network-related information. This includes the physical configuration of the system, network topology, routing tables, ARP cache, active network connections, and running processes . These elements can disappear immediately if the system is powered off or network connectivity changes, making them the highest priority during live response.

Disk data and temporary file systems are far less volatile, as their contents persist after shutdown. Archival media is the least volatile and can be collected last. CHFI v11 explicitly teaches that investigators must document and capture volatile network and system configuration details before moving to persistent storage. Therefore, prioritizing the physical configuration and network topology of the system is the correct and standards-compliant choice.