Digital Forensics | Incident Response
A digital forensic examination involves a systematic process of identifying, preserving, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence found on electronic devices. The examination typically begins with the identification of the devices and data types relevant to the investigation, which can include computers, smartphones, servers, and cloud storage.
Once the devices are identified, forensic experts create a bit-by-bit image of the storage media to ensure that the original data remains unaltered. This process is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the evidence and ensuring compliance with legal standards.
After imaging, the actual analysis begins. Forensic analysts utilize specialized software tools to recover deleted files, analyze file systems, and examine logs and metadata. This phase aims to extract relevant information while discovering any potential suspicious activities, such as unauthorized access, data breaches, or malware infections.
Throughout the examination, meticulous documentation is maintained to document each step taken, tools used, and findings observed. This documentation is essential for validating the process and providing evidentiary support in legal contexts.
Finally, the findings are synthesized into a comprehensive report that includes an executive summary, detailed analysis, and potential implications of the results. The entire digital forensic examination is driven by principles of precision, integrity, and clarity to ensure that the evidence is both credible and actionable.
Digital incident response refers to handling and managing the aftermath of a cybersecurity breach or attack. This process involves several key phases: preparation, detection and analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident activity. This may require traveling to the actual incident or walking someone through the required steps before the item is shipped to Shellback Forensics.