After a ransomware attack, a forensics company needs to review a cryptocurrency transaction between the victim and the attacker. What will the company MOST likely review to trace this transaction?

The public ledger is the most suitable option for tracing a cryptocurrency transaction following a ransomware attack because cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use a decentralized ledger known as the blockchain. This ledger records all transactions publicly, allowing anyone to view and verify the movement of funds. Each transaction is linked to a specific public address, enabling forensic analysts to trace the flow of funds between the victim and the attacker by examining the detailed transaction history.

The public nature of the ledger means that even though the transaction details do not reveal the identities of the parties involved, they provide a fixated pathway of the transaction, which forensic investigators can analyze to potentially identify the sender or recipient addresses. Additionally, if the attacker converts the cryptocurrency to another asset or fiat currency, tracking those transactions along the public ledger can provide crucial evidence.

While NetFlow data is useful for monitoring network traffic and can provide insights into malicious activity, it does not directly detail cryptocurrency transactions. A checksum checks the integrity of data but does not pertain to transaction verification. The event log typically records system or application activities, which is not specifically aligned with tracing the movement of cryptocurrency.