What does the Physical Disk Emulator (PDE) module mount data as?

The Physical Disk Emulator (PDE) module in forensic tools is designed to mimic the functionality of a physical drive. When the PDE mounts data, it presents that data as if it were a real physical drive to the operating system and other applications. This emulation allows the forensic examiner to interact with the data in a way that closely resembles standard manipulation of physical drives, enabling thorough analysis and investigation of the data as if it were truly located on a physical disk.

This capability is crucial for forensic examinations because it allows investigators to run operations that would typically require direct access to the hardware, such as running software tools, accessing file systems, or examining system-level partitions, while maintaining the integrity of the original evidence. By presenting the data as a physical drive, the PDE module upholds the foundational principles of digital investigations, such as preserving the chain of custody and ensuring that the original data remains unaltered.

The other options, such as network share, virtual file, and emulated disk, do not accurately represent the core functionality of the PDE, which focuses on emulating a physical disk's characteristics.