Jackson, a seasoned mobile forensics investigator, is tasked with analyzing an iPhone that may contain...

Option C. DFU Mode is the best answer because the scenario requires access to system-level device information such as IMEI and serial number without interacting with user data or relying on passcode entry. CHFI v11 covers mobile phone evidence analysis , data acquisition methods , logical and physical acquisition of Android and iOS devices , iOS architecture and boot process , and challenges in mobile forensics . These objectives support the need to use controlled acquisition states that minimize user-data interaction while still enabling low-level device communication.

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is a low-level state used to communicate with the device before the full operating system and user environment are loaded. That makes it more suitable than methods that would require normal device access. Jailbreaking would alter the device state and is not appropriate here. Safe Mode is not the relevant forensic mode for iPhone hardware identification. Recovery Mode is also used for maintenance, but DFU is the deeper low-level mode and better fits a requirement focused on hardware-level information without exposing user content.

Accordingly, DFU Mode is the strongest CHFI-aligned answer for acquiring essential device-identification details while preserving forensic discipline.