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Book Overview & Buying
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Table Of Contents
Digital Forensics Cookbook
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Volatile data refers to information that exists only while a system remains powered. Once power is removed, this data is typically lost. In some cases, volatile data may also include information that is likely to be overwritten quickly by normal system activity and, therefore, must be captured promptly.
The most common example of volatile data is random-access memory (RAM), but volatile information may also exist on mobile devices, routers, or other network equipment.
Although not all volatile data can be easily collected (and some may not always be relevant to an investigation), it is often important to preserve it during the initial triage of a system. In many cases, this may be the only opportunity to obtain it.
To guide this process, investigators often follow the order of volatility, which prioritizes collecting the data that is most likely to change or disappear first.
The order of volatility helps investigators collect the most fragile data first...