Introductory Computer Forensics

This textbook provides an introduction to digital forensics, a rapidly evolving field for solving crimes. Beginning with the basic concepts of computer forensics, each of the book’s 21 chapters focuses on a particular forensic topic composed of two parts: background knowledge and hands-on experience through practice exercises. Each theoretical or background section concludes with a series of review questions, which are prepared to test students’ understanding of the materials, while the practice exercises are intended to afford students the opportunity to apply the concepts introduced in the section on background knowledge. This experience-oriented textbook is meant to assist students in gaining a better understanding of digital forensics through hands-on practice in collecting and preserving digital evidence by completing various exercises. With 20 student-directed, inquiry-based practice exercises, students will better understand digital forensic concepts and learn digital forensic investigation techniques. This textbook is intended for upper undergraduate and graduate-level students who are taking digital-forensic related courses or working in digital forensics research. It can also be used by digital forensics practitioners, IT security analysts, and security engineers working in the IT security industry, particular IT professionals responsible for digital investigation and incident handling or researchers working in these related fields as a reference book.

"This book is a must for anyone attempting to examine the iPhone. The level of forensic detail is excellent. If only all guides to forensics were written with this clarity!"-Andrew Sheldon, Director of Evidence Talks, computer forensics experts With iPhone use increasing in business networks, IT and security professionals face a serious challenge: these devices store an enormous amount of information. If your staff conducts business with an iPhone, you need to know how to recover, analyze, and securely destroy sensitive data. iPhone Forensics supplies the knowledge necessary to conduct complete and highly specialized forensic analysis of the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch. This book helps you: Determine what type of data is stored on the device Break v1.x and v2.x passcode-protected iPhones to gain access to the device Build a custom recovery toolkit for the iPhone Interrupt iPhone 3G's "secure wipe" process Conduct data recovery of a v1.x and v2.x iPhone user disk partition, and preserve and recover the entire raw user disk partition Recover deleted voicemail, images, email, and other personal data, using data carving techniques Recover geotagged metadata from camera photos Discover Google map lookups, typing cache, and other data stored on the live file system Extract contact information from the iPhone's database Use different recovery strategies based on case needs And more. iPhone Forensics includes techniques used by more than 200 law enforcement agencies worldwide, and is a must-have for any corporate compliance and disaster recovery plan.

This work defines cyber crime, introduces students to computer terminology and the history of computer crime, and includes discussions of important legal and social issues relating to computer crime. The text also covers computer forensic science.

The Basics of Digital Forensics provides a foundation for people new to the digital forensics field. This book teaches you how to conduct examinations by discussing what digital forensics is, the methodologies used, key tactical concepts, and the tools needed to perform examinations. Details on digital forensics for computers, networks, cell phones, GPS, the cloud and the Internet are discussed. Also, learn how to collect evidence, document the scene, and how deleted data can be recovered. The new Second Edition of this book provides you with completely up-to-date real-world examples and all the key technologies used in digital forensics, as well as new coverage of network intrusion response, how hard drives are organized, and electronic discovery. You'll also learn how to incorporate quality assurance into an investigation, how to prioritize evidence items to examine (triage), case processing, and what goes into making an expert witness. The Second Edition also features expanded resources and references, including online resources that keep you current, sample legal documents, and suggested further reading. Learn what Digital Forensics entails Build a toolkit and prepare an investigative plan Understand the common artifacts to look for in an exam Second Edition features all-new coverage of hard drives, triage, network intrusion response, and electronic discovery; as well as updated case studies, expert interviews, and expanded resources and references

This work introduces the reader to the world of digital forensics in a practical and accessible manner. The text was written to fulfill a need for a book that introduces forensic methodology and sound forensic thinking, combined with hands-on examples for common tasks in a computer forensic examination. The author has several years of experience as a computer forensics examiner and is now working as a university-level lecturer. Guide to Digital Forensics: A Concise and Practical Introduction is intended for students that are looking for an introduction to computer forensics and can also be used as a collection of instructions for practitioners. The aim is to describe and explain the steps taken during a forensic examination, with the intent of making the reader aware of the constraints and considerations that apply during a fo rensic examination in law enforcement and in the private sector. Upon reading this book, the reader should have a proper overview of the field of digital forensics, starting them on the journey of becoming a computer forensics expert.

Every computer crime leaves tracks–you just have to know where to find them. This book shows you how to collect and analyze the digital evidence left behind in a digital crime scene. Computers have always been susceptible to unwanted intrusions, but as the sophistication of computer technology increases so does the need to anticipate, and safeguard against, a corresponding rise in computer-related criminal activity. Computer forensics, the newest branch of computer security, focuses on the aftermath of a computer security incident. The goal of computer forensics is to conduct a structured investigation to determine exactly what happened, who was responsible, and to perform the investigation in such a way that the results are useful in a criminal proceeding. Written by two experts in digital investigation, Computer Forensics provides extensive information on how to handle the computer as evidence. Kruse and Heiser walk the reader through the complete forensics process–from the initial collection of evidence through the final report. Topics include an overview of the forensic relevance of encryption, the examination of digital evidence for clues, and the most effective way to present your evidence and conclusions in court. Unique forensic issues associated with both the Unix and the Windows NT/2000 operating systems are thoroughly covered. This book provides a detailed methodology for collecting, preserving, and effectively using evidence by addressing the three A's of computer forensics: Acquire the evidence without altering or damaging the original data. Authenticate that your recorded evidence is the same as the original seized data. Analyze the data without modifying the recovered data. Computer Forensics is written for everyone who is responsible for investigating digital criminal incidents or who may be interested in the techniques that such investigators use. It is equally helpful to those investigating hacked web servers, and those who are investigating the source of illegal pornography.

The emergence of the World Wide Web, smartphones, and Computer-Mediated Communications (CMCs) profoundly affect the way in which people interact online and offline. Individuals who engage in socially unacceptable or outright criminal acts increasingly utilize technology to connect with one another in ways that are not otherwise possible in the real world due to shame, social stigma, or risk of detection. As a consequence, there are now myriad opportunities for wrongdoing and abuse through technology. This book offers a comprehensive and integrative introduction to cybercrime. It is the first to connect the disparate literature on the various types of cybercrime, the investigation and detection of cybercrime and the role of digital information, and the wider role of technology as a facilitator for social relationships between deviants and criminals. It includes coverage of: key theoretical and methodological perspectives, computer hacking and digital piracy, economic crime and online fraud, pornography and online sex crime, cyber-bulling and cyber-stalking, cyber-terrorism and extremism, digital forensic investigation and its legal context, cybercrime policy. This book includes lively and engaging features, such as discussion questions, boxed examples of unique events and key figures in offending, quotes from interviews with active offenders and a full glossary of terms. It is supplemented by a companion website that includes further students exercises and instructor resources. This text is essential reading for courses on cybercrime, cyber-deviancy, digital forensics, cybercrime investigation and the sociology of technology.

Keeping up with the latest developments in cyber security requires ongoing commitment, but without a firm foundation in the principles of computer security and digital forensics, those tasked with safeguarding private information can get lost in a turbulent and shifting sea. Providing such a foundation, Introduction to Security and Network Forensics covers the basic principles of intrusion detection systems, encryption, and authentication, as well as the key academic principles related to digital forensics. Starting with an overview of general security concepts, it addresses hashing, digital certificates, enhanced software security, and network security. The text introduces the concepts of risk, threat analysis, and network forensics, and includes online access to an abundance of ancillary materials, including labs, Cisco challenges, test questions, and web-based videos. The author provides readers with access to a complete set of simulators for routers, switches, wireless access points (Cisco Aironet 1200), PIX/ASA firewalls (Version 6.x, 7.x and 8.x), Wireless LAN Controllers (WLC), Wireless ADUs, ASDMs, SDMs, Juniper, and much more, including: More than 3,700 unique Cisco challenges and 48,000 Cisco Configuration Challenge Elements 60,000 test questions, including for Certified Ethical Hacking and CISSP® 350 router labs, 180 switch labs, 160 PIX/ASA labs, and 80 Wireless labs Rounding out coverage with a look into more advanced topics, including data hiding, obfuscation, web infrastructures, and cloud and grid computing, this book provides the fundamental understanding in computer security and digital forensics required to develop and implement effective safeguards against ever-evolving cyber security threats. Along with this, the text includes a range of online lectures and related material, available at: http://asecuritybook.com.