Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (250–350 words)

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The EC-Council CCISO program identifies chain of custody as the most critical requirement for the admissibility of digital evidence in a court of law. Chain of custody documents who collected the evidence, how it was handled, where it was stored, and who accessed it, ensuring the evidence was not altered or tampered with.

CCISO materials emphasize that even the most compelling technical evidence can be ruled inadmissible if the chain of custody is broken or undocumented. Courts require proof that evidence integrity has been maintained from collection through presentation.

Logs, expert witnesses, and analysis tools (Options B–D) are valuable, but without an uninterrupted chain of custody, they cannot be legally relied upon. CCISO guidance aligns with forensic standards used in law enforcement and regulatory investigations.

Therefore, Option A is correct.