If a file is marked for DeNISTing, does the processing engine consider content within the file?

When a file is marked for DeNISTing, the processing engine indeed considers the contents of the file. DeNISTing is a process used to remove files from a dataset that are associated with known operating system files, which helps narrow down the data by eliminating unnecessary files that typically do not contain relevant evidentiary material.

In this context, when determining whether a file should be retained or excluded, the processing engine analyzes not only the metadata of the file (such as file name, type, and size) but also the actual content within the file. This is essential to accurately identify files that may be duplicates or irrelevant, ensuring that the data set is streamlined for further analysis. The goal is to retain files that potentially contain useful information while discarding those that do not contribute significantly to the investigation or review process.

The other options suggest that the focus is limited to metadata or varies with file type, which does not accurately capture the comprehensive nature of DeNISTing and the role of content analysis in this processing stage.