What is a forensic analysis in cybersecurity?

Forensic analysis in cybersecurity primarily involves the systematic collection, preservation, and analysis of digital evidence to understand past events, confirm or refute suspicions of misconduct, or provide insights during investigations of security incidents. The focus is on identifying, extracting, and interpreting data from various digital sources such as computers, networks, and mobile devices to uncover what occurred during a security breach or other malicious activities.

This process is essential in determining how an incident happened, what vulnerabilities were exploited, and the impact of the breach. It not only plays a crucial role in incident response and recovery but also helps organizations to fortify their security measures and prevent future incidents.

The other options, while they touch on aspects related to security and systems, do not directly align with the core definition of forensic analysis. Improving user login credentials or enhancing system performance does not involve the investigatory elements inherent to forensic analysis, and analyzing physical hardware for security weaknesses does not address the digital evidence aspect that is critical to understanding and responding to cybersecurity incidents.