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Digital Forensics

Glossary / D

Digital Forensics Definition:

Digital Forensics is the process of collecting, preserving, analysing, and presenting digital evidence in a manner suitable for legal proceedings. It involves the examination of data stored on or transmitted by digital devices to investigate incidents such as Cybercrime, Data Breaches, fraud, and other security-related events.

What is Digital Forensics?

Digital Forensics encompasses various disciplines, including computer forensics, network forensics, mobile device forensics, and cloud forensics. The process involves identifying potential sources of evidence, preserving the integrity of data, analysing it for relevant information, and documenting the findings. This ensures that the evidence remains admissible in court or for internal investigations.

Why is Digital Forensics important?

The purpose of Digital Forensics is to uncover evidence of malicious activities, provide accountability, and support legal or organisational investigations. By thoroughly examining digital evidence, investigators can determine how an incident occurred, identify the responsible parties, and understand the extent of the impact. Digital Forensics plays a crucial role in combating Cybercrime, enforcing compliance, and improving cybersecurity practices.

How does Digital Forensics work?

Digital Forensics follows a structured process that typically includes identification, preservation, collection, analysis, and reporting. This involves making forensic copies (or images) of data to ensure that the original data remains unaltered, using specialised tools and techniques to analyse the data, and documenting all findings for use in legal proceedings. Tools like EnCase, FTK (Forensic Toolkit), and open-source software like Autopsy are commonly used for digital forensic investigations.

Digital Forensics Examples:

Examples of Digital Forensics include analysing hard drives to recover deleted files, examining network logs to trace the source of a cyber attack, and extracting data from mobile devices during criminal investigations. It may also involve investigating Insider Threats, breaches, or other incidents involving digital evidence.

Digital Forensics Issues:

Challenges in Digital Forensics include handling large volumes of data, dealing with encrypted or damaged data, maintaining the chain of custody, and ensuring that evidence is admissible in court. Investigators must follow strict procedures and use approved tools to avoid contaminating or tampering with evidence. The rapid evolution of technology also requires continuous updates to forensic methods and tools.

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