ASIS PCI flashcards
ASIS PCI · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Chain of Custody
- A chronological record of every transfer and access of evidence, including date, time, handler identity, and purpose, used to prove integrity from collection to disposition.
- Order of Volatility
- A collection priority ranking evidence by how quickly it disappears, starting with memory and network state before disks and archival media.
- Hash Value
- A fixed-length cryptographic digest of data, captured at acquisition, used to demonstrate that digital evidence has not been altered since collection.
- Best Evidence Rule
- A legal principle requiring the original document or recording when its contents are at issue, with copies admitted only when unavailability is explained.
- Evidence Numbering
- Assigning a unique identifier to each collected item so that logs, photographs, and reports can reference it unambiguously throughout the case.
- Photo Log
- A record correlating each scene photograph to its evidence item, location, direction, and time, enabling later verification of what the image depicts.
- Write Blocker
- A hardware or software device that prevents any write operation to source media during forensic imaging, preserving the original state of the evidence.
- Cognitive Interview
- A structured witness interviewing method using context reinstatement and varied retrieval cues to improve accurate recall while reducing suggestive influence.
- Surveillance Log
- A contemporaneous record of each observation containing date, time, location, subject description, activity observed, and the observer's identity.
- Entrapment
- Inducement by an agent causing a person to commit an offense they were not predisposed to commit; predisposition evidence is documented to rebut the defense.
- Open to Closed Questions
- An interviewing progression starting with broad narrative prompts and narrowing to specific factual questions, avoiding leading phrasing during the narrative phase.
- Time Synchronization Note
- A record of the offset between a recording device clock and actual time, applied so video events align correctly with other evidence timelines.
- Covert Operation Authorization
- Documented approval defining the scope, duration, and oversight of an undercover activity, required to keep the technique lawful and reviewable.
- Link Analysis
- A visual mapping of relationships among people, accounts, locations, and events, with each connection labeled by its evidentiary source.
- Findings Matrix
- A table mapping each allegation to supporting evidence, witnesses, and conclusion, used to expose gaps before a case is presented.
- Timeline Reconstruction
- Ordering case events by verified timestamps, flagging conflicts rather than resolving them silently, to establish sequence and opportunity.
- Fact Versus Inference
- A reporting discipline separating what was directly observed or documented from what the investigator concluded, with inferences explicitly labeled as such.
- Redaction Log
- A record listing each item removed from a released document, the legal basis for removal, and the reviewer, preserving an auditable trail.
- Report Limitations Section
- A statement of what the analysis could not determine, the data sources used, and known gaps, allowing readers to judge reliability independently.
- Executive Finding Statement
- The lead section of a presentation stating the conclusion and its evidentiary basis first, with supporting detail following for decision-makers.
- Case Disposition Categories
- Standard closure findings such as substantiated, unsubstantiated, exonerated, and unfounded, each requiring a stated basis in the closure memo.
- Statute of Limitations Tracking
- Recording the deadline computed from the offense or discovery date under the applicable jurisdiction, so the case is filed within the legal window.
- Case Priority Ranking
- Ordering cases by severity, escalation risk, and evidentiary perishability rather than by the order in which they arrived.
- Access Logging
- Recording each access to a case file or evidence store with identity, date, time, and purpose, supporting confidentiality and integrity controls.
- Periodic Case Review
- A policy-defined interval at which open cases are reassessed for progress and priority, with overdue reviews documented as management exceptions.
- Case Intake Record
- The initial documentation capturing complainant, allegation, date received, assigned investigator, and status, forming the anchor for all later entries.
- Objectivity Principle
- The duty to pursue and document exculpatory evidence as rigorously as inculpatory evidence, so conclusions reflect the full record.
- Reasonable Suspicion
- Articulable, specific facts suggesting a person is involved in wrongdoing, a lower threshold than probable cause and requiring documented basis.
- Probable Cause
- Facts and circumstances sufficient for a reasonable person to believe an offense occurred or that a person committed it, supporting arrest or search.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure
- Reporting any personal, financial, or prior relationship that could bias an investigation, with recusal required when the conflict is material.
- Contemporaneous Documentation
- Recording observations and actions at or near the time they occur; later entries are dated and identified as subsequent recollection.
- Investigative Process Cycle
- The sequence of intake, planning, evidence gathering, analysis, reporting, and disposition that structures every investigation regardless of size.