What does the term 'write-blocking' refer to in digital forensics?

The term 'write-blocking' in digital forensics refers specifically to a technique used to prevent any write operations to a storage device during analysis. This is crucial because, in digital forensics, maintaining the integrity of the original data is vital for ensuring that the evidence remains unaltered and admissible in court. Write-blockers are hardware or software tools that allow forensic experts to access and analyze data from a storage device while preventing any modifications, thus safeguarding the original state of the digital evidence. Without employing write-blocking techniques, there would be a risk of accidental data alteration or corruption, which can significantly compromise the forensic investigation and the validity of the evidence collected.