Which method is commonly used to ensure the authenticity of collected digital evidence?

The practice of using digital signatures is a robust method for ensuring the authenticity of collected digital evidence. Digital signatures utilize cryptographic techniques to create a unique fingerprint of the data, which is then encrypted with the sender's private key. This allows the recipient to verify both the integrity and authenticity of the data using the associated public key. If any part of the data is altered after the digital signature is created, the signature will not validate successfully, indicating that the evidence has been compromised.

While password protection can help secure data from unauthorized access, it does not provide assurance that the data has not been altered. Manual verification relies on human intervention, which can introduce error, and watermarking does not serve the primary purpose of verifying authenticity in the same way that digital signatures do. Thus, digital signatures stand out as the preferred method for ensuring that digital evidence remains authentic and untampered throughout the forensic process.