What is the purpose of hashing data during the authentication phase?

The purpose of hashing data during the authentication phase is to verify the integrity of the evidence. Hashing creates a unique digital fingerprint or hash value of data, which can be used to confirm that the data has not been altered or tampered with. When data is hashed, even a small change in the data will result in a completely different hash value. This property is essential in digital forensics because it ensures that the evidence remains intact and reliable throughout the investigation process.

In the context of digital forensic investigations, hashes are used as a standard method to securely manage and present evidence. Once data is hashed, the hash can be stored or compared later to determine if the original data remains unchanged. By confirming that the hash value still matches the initial hash after any storage or analysis process, investigators can confidently assert that the evidence is authentic and has not been compromised.

Options focusing on compression, data backups, or data artifact analysis do not pertain closely to the specific function of hashing within the authentication phase, which is fundamentally about ensuring data integrity.