Final answer:
Each file typically has three main timestamps: creation time, access time, and modification time, collectively known as MAC times. Additional timestamps like metadata modification times can exist depending on the filesystem. These play a vital role in digital forensics for establishing a timeline of events.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question 'How many timestamps exist per file in the context of forensic analysis?' refers to the standard file metadata maintained by a filesystem. Most files on a typical filesystem have three main timestamps: the time when the file was created (creation time), last accessed (access time), and last modified (modification time). These are often abbreviated as MAC times. However, depending on the file system in use, additional timestamps might be recorded, such as the time the file metadata was last modified, known as metadata modification time or change time in Unix-like systems.
In digital forensics, these timestamps can be critical pieces of evidence. They can help investigators establish a timeline of events, such as when a document was first drafted or when it was last opened. However, it's important to note that timestamps can be altered by users or processes, so they are not always definitive proof of the timing of events without additional corroboration.