- "Computer forensics (also known as computer forensic science) is a branch of digital forensic science pertaining to evidence found in computers and digital storage media."
The study of techniques used to analyze and recover data from digital devices.
Digital devices and storage systems: An in-depth understanding of the various digital devices and storage systems needed to be able to collect digital evidence.
Operating systems: Knowledge of operating systems is crucial in identifying and analyzing computer systems for digital evidence.
Network protocols: Understanding network protocols such as TCP/IP, HTTP, and FTP is important to investigate network communication.
Programming languages: Basic understanding of programming languages such as Python, C++, and Java are essential to write scripts to automate forensic tasks.
File systems: Familiarity with different file systems such as FAT, NTFS, and HFS+ is important to recover deleted files and recover data.
Digital forensic tools and techniques: Familiarize yourself with digital forensic tools such as EnCase, FTK, and Autopsy, and understand the techniques and procedures used in digital forensic investigations.
Data recovery: Learn how to recover deleted files, conduct file carving, and other data recovery techniques.
Mobile device forensics: Understand how to collect and analyze data from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Malware analysis: Understand the basics of malware analysis to identify malicious code and conduct investigations in cases of malware.
Cryptography: Knowledge of encryption and decryption techniques are vital to decrypting encrypted data.
Cybercrime laws: Understanding cybercrime and digital evidence laws in your area is essential to ensure correct and legal handling of digital evidence.
Incident response: Being prepared to respond to security breaches and incidents is becoming increasingly important.
Social engineering attacks: Understanding social engineering attacks, such as phishing and social engineering, is important when developing and implementing security policies.
Cloud forensics: Because data is increasingly stored in cloud services, understanding cloud forensics is becoming more critical.
Digital signature and certificates: Understanding digital signature verification and certificate verification helps prevent forgeries and frauds.
Disk Forensics: Examining data on a hard disk or other storage media to locate evidence.
Memory Forensics: Analyzing data in volatile memory to identify malware or other malicious activity.
Email Forensics: Analysis of email messages and their attachments to extract metadata, recover deleted messages, and identify patterns.
Network Forensics: Investigating network traffic to identify suspicious activity, malware, and intrusions.
Mobile Device Forensics: Examining data on mobile phones and other mobile devices to locate evidence of malpractice or wrong doing.
Cloud Forensics: Investigation of data in cloud-based services for evidence.
Live Forensics: Analysis of a running computer system to identify possible issues.
Firewall and IDS Forensics: Examining data generated by firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and utilising that information to determine underlying activity.
Database Forensics: Analysis of data in databases for evidence of malpractice.
Forensic Malware Analysis: Analysis of malware, determining the methods it uses and who created it.
Cyber Forensics: Investigation of digital evidence in the context of cyber crime cases.
Data Recovery Forensics: Analyzing data to recover deleted information or the original data.
- "The goal of computer forensics is to examine digital media in a forensically sound manner with the aim of identifying, preserving, recovering, analyzing and presenting facts and opinions about the digital information."
- "Although it is most often associated with the investigation of a wide variety of computer crime, computer forensics may also be used in civil proceedings."
- "The discipline involves similar techniques and principles to data recovery, but with additional guidelines and practices designed to create a legal audit trail."
- "Evidence from computer forensics investigations is usually subjected to the same guidelines and practices of other digital evidence."
- "It has been used in a number of high-profile cases."
- "It is accepted as reliable within U.S. and European court systems."
- "The focus is on conducting forensic examinations on digital media to gather evidence."
- "Forensically sound manner refers to following proper protocols and procedures to ensure the integrity and admissibility of evidence."
- "Digital media found in computers and digital storage media are analyzed in computer forensics."
- "Computer forensics may be used in civil proceedings to present facts and opinions about the digital information."
- "Computer forensics is a branch of digital forensic science."
- "The purpose is to follow guidelines and practices that ensure the evidence can be authenticated and traced back to its source."
- "Computer forensics is most often associated with the investigation of a wide variety of computer crime, but it may also be used in civil proceedings."
- "Computer forensics aims to analyze digital media and present facts and opinions about the digital information."
- "The main activities include identifying, preserving, recovering, analyzing, and presenting facts and opinions about the digital information."
- "Computer forensics involves similar techniques and principles to data recovery but includes additional guidelines and practices for creating a legal audit trail."
- "The guidelines and practices in computer forensics ensure that evidence is handled properly and can be accepted in court."
- "Evidence from computer forensics investigations is usually subjected to the same guidelines and practices of other digital evidence."
- "Computer forensics evidence is accepted as reliable within U.S. and European court systems."