Digital Forensics Information & Phases

What Is Digital Forensics?

Digital forensic science is a branch of forensic science that focuses on the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices related to cybercrime. The term digital forensics was first used as a synonym for computer forensics. Since then, it has expanded to cover the investigation of any devices that can store digital data.

Digital forensics is the process of identifying, preserving, analyzing, and documenting digital evidence. This is done in order to present evidence in a court of law when required.

“Digital forensics is the process of uncovering and interpreting electronic data. The goal of the process is to preserve any evidence in its most original form while performing a structured investigation by collecting, identifying, and validating the digital information to reconstruct past events. The context is most often for the usage of data in a court of law, though digital forensics can be used in other instances.”

Steps of Digital Forensics

In order for digital evidence to be accepted in a court of law, it must be handled in a very specific way so that there is no opportunity for cyber criminals to tamper with the evidence.

1. Identification:-

First, find the evidence, noting where it is stored.

2. Preservation:-

Next, isolate, secure, and preserve the data. This includes preventing people from possibly tampering with the evidence.

3. Analysis:-

Next, reconstruct fragments of data and draw conclusions based on the evidence found.

4. Documentation:-

Following that, create a record of all the data to recreate the crime scene.

5. Presentation:-

Lastly, summarize and draw a conclusion.

Who Is a Digital Forensics Investigator?

A Digital Forensics Investigator is someone who has a desire to follow the evidence and solve a crime virtually. Imagine a security breach happens at a company, resulting in stolen data. In this situation, a computer forensic analyst would come in and determine how attackers gained access to the network, where they traversed the network, and what they did on the network, whether they took information or planted malware. Under those circumstances, a digital forensic investigator’s role is to recover data like documents, photos, and emails from computer hard drives and other data storage devices, such as zip and flash drives, with deleted, damaged, or otherwise manipulated.

Phases of Digital Forensics

Phase I – First Response

The action performed right after the occurrence of a security incident is known as the first response. It is highly dependent on the nature of the incident.

Phase II – Search and Seizure

Under this phase, the professionals search for the devices involved in carrying out the crime. These devices then carefully seized to extract information out of them.

Phase III – Collect the Evidence

After the search and seizure phase, professionals use the acquired devices to collect data. They have well-defined forensic methods for evidence handling.

Phase IV- Secure the Evidence

The forensic staff should have access to a safe environment where they can secure the evidence. They determine if the collected data is accurate, authentic, and accessible.

Phase V – Data Acquisition

Data acquisition is the process of retrieving Electronically Stored Information (ESI) from suspected digital assets. It helps to gain insights into the incident while an improper process can alter the data, thus, sacrificing the integrity of evidence.

Phase VI – Data Analysis

Under data analysis, the accountable staff scan the acquired data to identify the evidential information that can be presented to the court. This phase is about examining, identifying, separating, converting, and modeling data to transform it into useful information.

Phase VII – Evidence Assessment

The process of evidence assessment relates the evidential data to the security incident. There should be a thorough assessment based on the scope of the case.

Phase VIII – Documentation and Reporting

This is a post-investigation phase that covers reporting and documenting of all the findings. Also, the report should have adequate and acceptable evidence in accordance to the court of law.

Phase IX – Testify as an Expert Witness

The forensic investigators should approach the expert witness to affirm the accuracy of evidence. An expert witness is a professional who investigates the crime to retrieve evidence.