Is it necessary to scan all media for viruses before the examination begins?

Scanning all media for viruses before the examination begins is a critical step in the digital forensics process. The primary reason is that viruses and malware can alter or destroy digital evidence, impacting the integrity of the investigation. By conducting a comprehensive scan prior to handling the data, the forensic examiner can ensure that the evidence remains intact and untainted by malicious software.

Additionally, scanning helps establish a baseline of the environment being assessed. If viruses or malware are present, they could actively modify files or create new artifacts during the forensic analysis, leading to misleading results or false conclusions.

In contexts where the digital evidence may be subjected to analysis on a standalone system or forensic workstation, scanning all media helps protect the integrity of both the evidence and the tools used for examination. Ensuring that the system is free of malware helps to maintain a clean environment for forensic analysis, allowing for a more methodical and reliable examination of the media.

Therefore, asserting that it is necessary to scan all media for viruses before beginning the examination reflects best practices in digital forensics aimed at safeguarding evidence integrity and ensuring accurate results.