What is the primary purpose of a forensic acquisition tool?

The primary purpose of a forensic acquisition tool is to create a bit-for-bit copy of digital evidence. This process is crucial in digital forensics because it ensures that an exact replica of the original data is obtained without altering the original evidence in any way. By using such tools, investigators can work on the copied data for analysis without compromising the original data's integrity, which is vital for maintaining the chain of custody and ensuring the evidence remains admissible in court. This exact duplication is necessary to uncover potential evidence or artifacts that may not be easily observable on the original drive, aiding in thorough investigations.

The other choices, while related to different aspects of digital forensics, do not capture the primary function of forensic acquisition tools. Storing evidence securely is an important aspect of evidence management but is not the main function of acquisition tools. Analyzing vulnerabilities in a system is more aligned with security assessments rather than forensic data acquisition. Similarly, recovering deleted files is a potential function within a broader forensic investigation but does not represent the core purpose of the acquisition tool itself.