When capturing volatile memory during an incident response action, it's acceptable to use the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys) as it is an exact representation of RAM contents.
The statement is false. Though the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys) does contain a compressed image of the RAM contents at the time of system hibernation, it is not a complete or exact representation of RAM. Volatile memory acquisition for incident response and forensic purposes should, if possible, be done with specialized tools designed to capture the entire contents of RAM accurately at the time of the response. These tools can ensure that more of the memory is captured in an unaltered state, which is crucial for analysis. The hibernation file may miss in-memory data that is not written to disk and can also contain artifacts from the compression process, potentially altering data.
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What is a hibernation file (hiberfil.sys)?
What specialized tools are used to capture RAM during incident response?
Why is capturing an exact representation of RAM important in incident response?