Evidence Preservation
Evidence Preservation: The controlled acquisition and preservation of evidence without compromising its integrity. Roles, decision authority, evidence, communication, and timing should be defined before an incident occurs.
How it works and where it fits
Evidence Preservation belongs to a prepared workflow for handling security-relevant events. A technical signal becomes a substantiated incident only through triage, context, and assessment. Roles, decision authority, escalation paths, and stopping conditions should therefore be agreed in advance so actions remain consistent under time pressure.
Practical security relevance
Execution must balance rapid containment with careful evidence preservation. Actions should not unnecessarily destroy important traces or disrupt business operations without control. Timelines, decisions, and changes are documented; after recovery, root causes, identified gaps, and lessons learned feed back into controls, detection logic, and response plans.
Related concepts
- Chain of CustodyChain of CustodyComprehensive documentation of the possession, transfer, and handling of digital evidence.: Comprehensive documentation of the possession, transfer, and handling of digital evidence.
- Digital ForensicsDigital ForensicsPreserves and analyzes digital traces to reconstruct security-relevant events.: Preserves and analyzes digital traces to reconstruct security-relevant events.
- Forensic ImageForensic ImageA bit-for-bit copy of a storage medium for forensic analysis.: A bit-for-bit copy of a storage medium for forensic analysis.
- Incident ResponseIncident ResponseA structured process for the preparation, detection, containment, eradication, and post-incident review regarding security incidents.: A structured process for the preparation, detection, containment, eradication, and post-incident review regarding security incidents.