Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

In which step of event correlation did Raphael identify the cause of the network access issue?

1. Event filtering

2. Event masking

3. Root cause analysis

4. Event aggregation

The correct answer is: Root cause analysis

In the context of event correlation, identifying the cause of a network access issue falls under root cause analysis. This step involves investigating and determining the underlying reasons for a specific problem or incident, which, in this case, refers to the network access issue. During root cause analysis, specific events and data are reviewed and analyzed to find patterns or anomalies that directly contribute to the problem at hand. In contrast, event filtering is the process of sifting through numerous events to focus only on those that are significant or relevant, while event masking deals with concealing or hiding certain data to protect sensitive information during analysis. Event aggregation is about collecting and consolidating related events into a summary to facilitate a more straightforward analysis. None of these processes pinpoint the exact cause of an issue; thus, they do not fulfill the requirement for identifying the cause. Root cause analysis stands out as the definitive stage for uncovering the fundamental reasons behind a specific incident or malfunction.