Module 1 – Understanding the Digital Forensics Profession and Investigations

How is digital forensics defined?

Legal application of computer science and investigative procedures to analyze digital evidence.

What elements ensure valid digital forensic analysis?

Search authority, chain of custody, math validation, validated tools, repeatability, reporting, expert presentation.

What standard was ratified in 2012 for digital forensics?

An ISO standard defining personnel and methods for acquiring and preserving evidence.

Why were the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) created?

To ensure consistency in federal court proceedings.

When was the FRE signed into law?

In 1973.

How does the Fourth Amendment affect digital forensics?

It protects against unlawful search and seizure; separate warrants may not always be required for digital evidence.

Why must examiners be familiar with case law?

Each jurisdiction has rulings on admissibility of digital evidence.

What tasks are included in investigating digital devices?

Collecting data securely, examining suspect data, presenting findings to court, applying laws.

How is digital forensics different from data recovery?

Digital forensics investigates unknowns; data recovery retrieves known lost or deleted data.

What is the 'investigations triad'?

A team structure where forensic investigators often work together to solve cases.

What does vulnerability/threat assessment and risk management test?

The integrity of workstations and network servers.

What is network intrusion detection and response?

Detecting intruder attacks with automated tools and monitoring logs.

What is the role of digital investigations?

Managing investigations and analyzing systems suspected of containing evidence.

When did IACIS introduce training on digital forensics software?

Early 1990s.

Who created search-warrant programs?

The IRS.

What forensic tool was created for Macintosh?

Expert Witness by ASR Data.

Which forensic tool is maintained by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division?

ILook.

Name a popular commercial forensic product.

AccessData Forensic Toolkit (FTK).

Why can’t existing laws always address digital crimes?

Technology changes faster than laws.

What is case law?

Using past rulings to guide new cases where statutes don’t exist.

Why must examiners know recent rulings?

To understand search and seizure rules for electronic evidence.

What operating systems should forensic investigators know?

Linux, macOS, and current Windows versions.

Why maintain professional contacts?

To share knowledge and support investigations.

What is an example of a professional user group?

Computer Technology Investigators Network (CTIN).

When should outside experts be consulted?

When specialized expertise is needed.

What do public-sector investigations involve?

Government agencies handling criminal cases.

Which amendment restricts government searches and seizures?

The Fourth Amendment.

Who updates computer search and seizure guidelines?

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

What do private-sector investigations usually focus on?

Policy violations.

What must investigators know for public-sector cases?

Laws on computer crimes, legal processes, search and seizure guidelines, and building cases.

How does a criminal investigation usually begin?

A witness or victim reports evidence of a crime.

What is the role of a Digital Evidence First Responder (DEFR)?

To secure the scene and preserve evidence.

What is a Digital Evidence Specialist (DES)?

An expert who analyzes data and knows when to involve specialists.

What is an affidavit?

A sworn statement with exhibits supporting a crime allegation.

Who conducts private-sector investigations?

Companies and lawyers addressing policy violations or disputes.

Give examples of private-sector crimes.

Harassment, discrimination, data falsification, embezzlement, sabotage, industrial espionage.

What is an 'Acceptable Use Policy'?

Rules defining proper use of company computers and networks.

What is a line of authority in investigations?

Defines who can authorize investigations, access, or possession of evidence.

How can businesses avoid litigation?

By displaying warning banners on computers.

What is the purpose of a warning banner?

To notify employees about monitoring and usage policies.

Who should be specified as an authorized requester?

A person with power to initiate investigations.

What three common situations lead to private investigations?

Misuse of assets, email abuse, Internet abuse.

What is the main role of private investigators?

Minimize company risk.

Why is distinguishing personal vs. company property difficult?

Devices like phones and tablets blur ownership lines.

What does BYOD policy state?

Personal devices on the business network are treated as company property.

How does digital forensics differ from data recovery?

In data recovery, you typically know what you are looking for.

What does professional conduct include?

Ethics, morals, and behavior standards.

How should an investigator maintain credibility?

By being objective and keeping information confidential.

Why should investigators attend training?

To stay current with tools and technologies.

What is the role of a digital forensics professional?

Gather evidence for legal or corporate cases.

How should evidence be preserved?

On a separate computer.

What is the chain of custody?

The documented path evidence takes until case closure.

What are the five steps of an investigation?

Identify, preserve, analyze, present, critique evidence.

What can computers reveal in criminal cases?

Chain of events and evidence leading to conviction.

Why follow procedure in acquiring evidence?

To ensure admissibility in court.

What are initial problem-solving steps in digital forensics?

Assess case, design approach, checklist, resources, copy drive, identify risks.

Why test the design?

To ensure reliability before analyzing evidence.

What details should be outlined in case assessment?

Situation, case type, evidence, disk format, and evidence location.

What does a basic investigation plan include?

Acquire evidence, document chain of custody, transport securely, prepare workstation, forensic copy, return and process.

How should evidence be secured?

With evidence bags, antistatic materials, padding, tape with initials.

What type of private-sector cases are most common?

Employee abuse of corporate assets, especially hostile work environment incidents.

What steps are recommended for Internet abuse cases?

Forensic analysis, extract URLs, review proxy logs, compare data, analyze disk drive.

How should email evidence be examined?

Using forensic techniques for local, server-based, and web-based data.

What is important in email analysis?

Examining message headers.

What is ACP in investigations?

Attorney-client privilege requiring confidentiality.

What steps are taken in ACP cases?

Attorney memo, keyword list, dual disk images, hash comparison, thorough disk analysis, keyword search, Registry analysis, correct tools for file types, recovery of unallocated data.

What steps are taken in espionage cases?

Brief team, gather resources, place surveillance, collect discreet evidence, review logs, report to management, review scope with attorneys.

What is the difference between an interview and interrogation?

Interview gathers facts; interrogation seeks confession.

What makes a successful interview/interrogation?

Patience, repetition, persistence.

What is a forensic workstation?

A specialized computer with forensic tools and extra bays.

What is a write-blocker?

A device/software that prevents writing to evidence drives.

What are basic workstation requirements?

Windows 10+, write-blocker, acquisition tool, analysis tool, target drive, spare ports.

What are useful extras?

NIC, extra ports, FireWire, SCSI card, disk/text editors, viewers.

What resources are needed to start?

Original media, custody form, evidence container, imaging tool, forensic workstation, secure locker.

What are evidence gathering steps?

Interview IT manager, fill custody forms, bag evidence, transport to lab, secure evidence.

What is a bit-stream copy?

A bit-by-bit copy of storage medium.

How is it different from backups?

Backups copy known files only; bit-stream includes deleted and hidden data.

What is a bit-stream image?

The file containing the full disk copy.

What is the job of digital evidence analysis?

To recover and interpret data.

Why can deleted files often be recovered?

They remain until overwritten.

What tool can retrieve deleted files?

Autopsy.

What must final reports include?

Methods, findings, repeatable steps, conclusive evidence, and supporting documents.

What should be asked in critiquing a case?

How to improve, expectations vs. results, thoroughness, feedback, new problems, new techniques.

What must digital forensic workstations include?

A data acquisition tool and a write-blocker.

What are the five planning steps for investigations?

Identify, preserve, analyze, present, critique.

What three actions are important in corporate investigations?

Follow policy, secure evidence, minimize risk.