File System Forensic Analysis

Moves beyond the basics and shows how to use tools to recover and analyse forensic evidence.

The Definitive Guide to File System Analysis: Key Concepts and Hands-on Techniques Most digital evidence is stored within the computer's file system, but understanding how file systems work is one of the most technically challenging concepts for a digital investigator because there exists little documentation. Now, security expert Brian Carrier has written the definitive reference for everyone who wants to understand and be able to testify about how file system analysis is performed. Carrier begins with an overview of investigation and computer foundations and then gives an authoritative, comprehensive, and illustrated overview of contemporary volume and file systems: Crucial information for discovering hidden evidence, recovering deleted data, and validating your tools. Along the way, he describes data structures, analyzes example disk images, provides advanced investigation scenarios, and uses today's most valuable open source file system analysis tools—including tools he personally developed. Coverage includes Preserving the digital crime scene and duplicating hard disks for "dead analysis" Identifying hidden data on a disk's Host Protected Area (HPA) Reading source data: Direct versus BIOS access, dead versus live acquisition, error handling, and more Analyzing DOS, Apple, and GPT partitions; BSD disk labels; and Sun Volume Table of Contents using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Analyzing the contents of multiple disk volumes, such as RAID and disk spanning Analyzing FAT, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, UFS1, and UFS2 file systems using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Finding evidence: File metadata, recovery of deleted files, data hiding locations, and more Using The Sleuth Kit (TSK), Autopsy Forensic Browser, and related open source tools When it comes to file system analysis, no other book offers this much detail or expertise. Whether you're a digital forensics specialist, incident response team member, law enforcement officer, corporate security specialist, or auditor, this book will become an indispensable resource for forensic investigations, no matter what analysis tools you use.

Digital Forensics with Open Source Tools is the definitive book on investigating and analyzing computer systems and media using open source tools. The book is a technical procedural guide, and explains the use of open source tools on Mac, Linux and Windows systems as a platform for performing computer forensics. Both well-known and novel forensic methods are demonstrated using command-line and graphical open source computer forensic tools for examining a wide range of target systems and artifacts. Written by world-renowned forensic practitioners, this book uses the most current examination and analysis techniques in the field. It consists of 9 chapters that cover a range of topics such as the open source examination platform; disk and file system analysis; Windows systems and artifacts; Linux systems and artifacts; Mac OS X systems and artifacts; Internet artifacts; and automating analysis and extending capabilities. The book lends itself to use by students and those entering the field who do not have means to purchase new tools for different investigations. This book will appeal to forensic practitioners from areas including incident response teams and computer forensic investigators; forensic technicians from legal, audit, and consulting firms; and law enforcement agencies. Written by world-renowned forensic practitioners Details core concepts and techniques of forensic file system analysis Covers analysis of artifacts from the Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems

Windows Forensic Analysis DVD Toolkit, 2nd Edition, is a completely updated and expanded version of Harlan Carvey's best-selling forensics book on incident response and investigating cybercrime on Windows systems. With this book, you will learn how to analyze data during live and post-mortem investigations. New to this edition is Forensic Analysis on a Budget, which collects freely available tools that are essential for small labs, state (or below) law enforcement, and educational organizations. The book also includes new pedagogical elements, Lessons from the Field, Case Studies, and War Stories that present real-life experiences by an expert in the trenches, making the material real and showing the why behind the how. The companion DVD contains significant, and unique, materials (movies, spreadsheet, code, etc.) not available anyplace else because they were created by the author. This book will appeal to digital forensic investigators, IT security professionals, engineers, and system administrators as well as students and consultants. Best-Selling Windows Digital Forensic book completely updated in this 2nd Edition Learn how to Analyze Data During Live and Post-Mortem Investigations DVD Includes Custom Tools, Updated Code, Movies, and Spreadsheets!

Operating System Forensics is the first book to cover all three critical operating systems for digital forensic investigations in one comprehensive reference. Users will learn how to conduct successful digital forensic examinations in Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, the methodologies used, key technical concepts, and the tools needed to perform examinations. Mobile operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows, and Blackberry are also covered, providing everything practitioners need to conduct a forensic investigation of the most commonly used operating systems, including technical details of how each operating system works and how to find artifacts. This book walks you through the critical components of investigation and operating system functionality, including file systems, data recovery, memory forensics, system configuration, Internet access, cloud computing, tracking artifacts, executable layouts, malware, and log files. You'll find coverage of key technical topics like Windows Registry, /etc directory, Web browers caches, Mbox, PST files, GPS data, ELF, and more. Hands-on exercises in each chapter drive home the concepts covered in the book. You'll get everything you need for a successful forensics examination, including incident response tactics and legal requirements. Operating System Forensics is the only place you'll find all this covered in one book. Covers digital forensic investigations of the three major operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS Presents the technical details of each operating system, allowing users to find artifacts that might be missed using automated tools Hands-on exercises drive home key concepts covered in the book. Includes discussions of cloud, Internet, and major mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS

Windows Registry Forensics provides the background of the Windows Registry to help develop an understanding of the binary structure of Registry hive files. Approaches to live response and analysis are included, and tools and techniques for postmortem analysis are discussed at length. Tools and techniques are presented that take the student and analyst beyond the current use of viewers and into real analysis of data contained in the Registry, demonstrating the forensic value of the Registry. Named a 2011 Best Digital Forensics Book by InfoSec Reviews, this book is packed with real-world examples using freely available open source tools. It also includes case studies and a CD containing code and author-created tools discussed in the book. This book will appeal to computer forensic and incident response professionals, including federal government and commercial/private sector contractors, consultants, etc. Named a 2011 Best Digital Forensics Book by InfoSec Reviews Packed with real-world examples using freely available open source tools Deep explanation and understanding of the Windows Registry – the most difficult part of Windows to analyze forensically Includes a CD containing code and author-created tools discussed in the book

iOS Forensic Analysis provides an in-depth look at investigative processes for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices. The methods and procedures outlined in the book can be taken into any courtroom. With never-before-published iOS information and data sets that are new and evolving, this book gives the examiner and investigator the knowledge to complete a full device examination that will be credible and accepted in the forensic community.