What does a system snapshot capture in an investigation?

A system snapshot captures a complete image of a system's state at a specific time, which includes the operating system, currently running applications, active processes, system configurations, and data files. This is crucial in investigations as it allows forensic analysts to analyze the exact conditions of the system when the snapshot was taken, including any malware or unauthorized changes that may have occurred.

By providing a point-in-time representation of the system, a snapshot is invaluable for understanding what was happening during a potential security incident. It helps in correlating events and assessing the impact of any threats or compromises. Additionally, it can aid in restoring the system to that state if needed in recovery efforts after an incident has been analyzed.

The other options focus on specific aspects of system activity or configuration but do not encompass the comprehensive capture of the system's conditions that a snapshot provides. For instance, while logs of network traffic or user activities can provide context, they do not give a holistic view of the operational environment at that moment.