Final answer:
After a laptop is recovered post-theft, verify the full disk encryption status and file system integrity, as well as TPM PCR values and UEFI vulnerabilities to assess the impact of the incident on data security.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a laptop is recovered after it was stolen, it's important to determine the potential impact of the incident on data and system security. The incident response activities should include verification of the following:
- Full disk encryption status: to ensure that any sensitive data remains secure, even if the device was accessed by unauthorized users.
- TPM PCR values: to check if there have been any changes to the Trusted Platform Module, which could indicate tampering with the device's security features.
- File system integrity: to ascertain whether any files have been altered, deleted, or added, which could be indicative of data breaches or malware presence.
- Presence of UEFI vulnerabilities: to determine if the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface—a vital piece of the system's startup process—has been exploited to gain unauthorized access or persist on the device.
These checks help assess any potential damage or risk introduced by the theft and subsequent recovery of the laptop.