Which tool is recognized as one of the first MS-DOS applications for digital investigations?

Norton DiskEdit is recognized as one of the first MS-DOS applications for digital investigations due to its pioneering features and capabilities in managing disk data. Developed in the early 1990s, Norton DiskEdit allowed users to interact directly with the hard drive's sectors, enabling forensic professionals to examine and manipulate raw disk data at a low level. This tool was designed for both general data recovery and advanced editing tasks, making it a vital resource for early digital investigators trying to recover deleted files and analyze file structures.

The historical significance of Norton DiskEdit also lies in its contribution to the evolution of digital forensics. Being one of the first tools of its kind, it set the stage for subsequent software designed specifically for forensic analysis, influencing how digital evidence was extracted and understood in later years. Its ability to provide detailed views of file systems and recover lost data was instrumental in demonstrating the capabilities and importance of digital forensics as a discipline.