Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) Practice Exam

The first sector of a hard disk is commonly referred to as the Master Boot Record (MBR). The MBR plays a critical role in the boot process of a computer. It is located at the very beginning of the hard disk drive and contains important information such as the partition table that provides details about how the disk is partitioned, and a small amount of executable code that is responsible for initiating the boot process.

When a computer is powered on, the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) reads the MBR from the first sector of the disk to determine where the operating system is located and then transfers control to that operating system's bootloader.

The other options mentioned do not accurately describe the first sector of a hard disk. The term "System boot record" generally refers to specific boot records for individual partitions, while "Secondary boot record" and "Hard disk boot record" are less commonly used terminology and do not specifically denote the MBR. The clarity of the MBR in its role as the first sector of a hard disk makes it the correct term.