Incident Investigations with Digital Forensics

Any business or individual can become a target of cybercrime. Consequences can be catastrophic. Some of the expected negative outcomes include financial and IP losses, copyright infringement, operational disturbance, and unwarranted surveillance. With digital forensics, you can prevent or solve the problems as effectively as possible.

What Is Digital Forensics?

Digital or cyber forensics is a branch of forensic science or the process of dealing with electronic evidence (identification, proper handling, reporting) related to cybercrime, which can be used in courts when required. Digital evidence that can be analyzed is stored on a desktop computer, laptop, other devices (mobile phone, etc.), server, or network.

Digital Forensics Process

Here are typical steps of cyber investigations:

1. Identification of cybercrime - searching for devices and collecting the evidence.
2. Preservation (keeping the data or evidence secure) for preventing any people or systems from using the data and devices.
3. Analysis of digital trails.
4. Documentation of all digital findings.
5. Presentation: reporting about examination results and recommendations.
6. Giving expert witness testimony if required.

Types of Cyber Forensics

First, cyber forensics was synonymous with its current branch - Computer Forensics - and dealt with computers. Digital Forensics can now retrieve and examine data from all devices used to handle and store digital information - from flash memory or a USB pen drive to corporate and government servers and networks or more. 

Based on a particular type of device and systems, cyber forensics is divided into three main sub-disciplines or branches:

• Computer Forensics – all digital forensics processes based on data found on computers and their systems, laptops, and storage devices.

• Mobile Devices Forensics – analysis of call data and communications from mobile phones, smartphones, SIM cards, PDAs, GPS devices, tablets, etc.

• Network Forensics – incident investigations based on computer network traffic.

There are also much more specific types such as Digital Image Forensics (validating the authenticity of photographic data); Digital Video/Audio Forensics (evaluation and authenticity of recordings); Memory Forensics, or live acquisition (from the RAM of a running computer); Wireless Forensics (a Network Forensics branch); Malware Forensics; Email Forensics; and so on.

Modern Cyber Forensics Tools

With the latest technologies and the speed of changes in the cyber security industry, the traditional live analysis seems less efficient. An excellent cyber investigator has to apply up-to-date tools for high performance and less damage caused by the forensic process. 

More and more open source digital forensics tools are appearing. And each suggests additional benefits for specific digital forensics branches and various operating systems. 

What Does a Digital Forensics Team Do?

With the latest technologies and the speed of changes in the cyber security industry, the traditional live analysis seems less efficient. An excellent cyber investigator has to apply up-to-date tools for high performance and less damage caused by the forensic process. 

More and more open source digital forensics tools are appearing. And each suggests additional benefits for specific digital forensics branches and various operating systems. 

What Does a Digital Forensics Team Do?

Digital forensics professionals are experts that should be called once information from a device, network, application, website, etc., is stolen or you suspect a data leak. The experts utilize their knowledge of information systems and cyber security to solve the issues or crimes virtually and prevent them from happening again.

The tasks digital forensics investigators accomplish are:

• determining cybercrime features based on digital trails: managing and tracking evidence, learning what happened, when, and how, where the data was sent and possible consequences;

• actions to recover, restore, and repair stolen or damaged data;

• risks mitigation;

• proper evidence handling and other legal procedures;

• reporting analytical discoveries;

• development of a new effective cyber security strategy.

The data breach is the primary direction for digital forensics but not the only one. Cyber examiners take part in various legal investigations.

Professional Cyber Forensics Examiner: Skills and Knowledge

As with other cyber security experts, the world suffers from a growing shortage of digital forensics professionals. Businesses, law enforcement agencies, and governments are in constant need of skilled cyber investigators.

Basic and in-depth skills required from a trained cyber forensics analyst include: knowledge of standard and specific operational systems; efficient investigative techniques including the latest digital forensics methods and skills; use of forensics software and tools; specific computer languages; encryption; and soft skills such as sociability, analytical skills, etc.

Digital Forensics for Businesses

The overall forensic procedure doesn't generally differ depending on the particular target of cybercrime. The main steps of the cyber investigation process are held as described above with businesses too. The peculiarities may be found in scopes, goals, and motives for the analysis.

Businesses need primarily digital forensics for incident investigations with further handing the report to the law enforcement workers. That will enhance the chances of cybercrime case success.

Our cyber investigators have extensive experience with intelligence agencies. We are highly proficient in the investigation, data recovery, and prevention measures for technology-based cases of fraud, Internet scams, cyberterrorism, cyberextortion, etc. Reach out to our team, always ready to solve or prevent any cyber security problems.