What security practice is described by NIST as the application of science to the identification, collection, examination, and analysis of data while maintaining data integrity and chain of custody?

NIST SP 800-86 explicitly defines digital forensics as 'the application of science to the identification, collection, examination, and analysis of data while preserving the integrity of the information and maintaining a strict chain of custody.' This definition uniquely combines scientific rigor with evidentiary handling requirements that distinguish forensics from other security disciplines.

Vulnerability assessments focus on identifying and quantifying security weaknesses in systems, not on scientific evidence collection with chain of custody requirements.

Penetration testing involves authorized simulated attacks to exploit vulnerabilities, not the preservation-focused evidence gathering described in the question.

Incident response is the broader organizational process of detecting and managing security incidents, whereas digital forensics is the specific scientific discipline focused on evidence integrity and legal admissibility.