What is the primary goal of preservation requests in the context of digital evidence?

The primary goal of preservation requests in the context of digital evidence is to maintain the integrity of that evidence. This involves ensuring that the data remains unaltered and that its original state is preserved for future analysis and legal proceedings. Maintaining integrity is crucial because digital evidence can be easily modified or destroyed if not properly handled. By making preservation requests, law enforcement and investigators can prevent any loss or tampering of digital evidence that could compromise an investigation or lead to challenges in court.

In contrast, while expediting the evidence collection process can be important, it is secondary to the need for integrity. Gathering witness testimonies and analyzing data without restrictions are not relevant to the primary goal of preservation, as these focus more on the evidentiary process rather than the preservation of the evidence itself.