Computer forensics is an investigative field focused on gathering and preserving evidence from various computing devices to be used in the court of law.
Pretty challenging to understand. Right?
Let’s make it easier for you.
A computing device such as a laptop, an iPad, or a smartphone often contains critical evidence that can help solve a case. And computer forensics help retrieve these vital pieces of evidence.
To your surprise, there is no one type of computer forensics technology. Indeed, there are six in total.
Let’s take a look at them.
Types of Computer Forensics
All six types of computer forensics technologies deal with a specific aspect of information. Here are the technologies in brief:
Database Forensics
As the name suggests, database forensics deals with big data information. The procedure is usually applicable when information regarding any case related to confidential information and its metadata is needed – for example, in case of company fraud.
Email Forensics
Recovering and analysing emails and the information contained within is also a critical part of computer forensics. The data extraction can help understand the motive behind a crime and identify the parties involved.
Malware Forensics
This particular field of computer forensics deals with cybercrimes that involve malware. For example, identifying ransomware, trojan horses, and other malicious programs that may harm a company or an individual.
Memory Forensics
Any information that could be present on temporary or permanent memory devices is usually extracted with the help of memory forensics. For example, data stored in a computer’s RAM or cache memory.
Mobile Forensics
The procedure usually uses a mobile device forensics tool to extract information from mobile phones. Since mobile phones are mostly locked and cannot be accessed the usual way, they need to be hard-jacked with the help of external tools.
Network Forensics
Network forensics is the only technology that is used in real-time. Or you can say it is actively used 24/7. The technology looks for evidence by monitoring network traffic for any suspicious activity.
So, now that you have a ballpark idea of what these computer forensic technologies are, you might want to know how do they work in detail.
How does Computer Forensics work?
For every investigation that involves forensics, a standard procedure is followed generally.
Step 1. Data Collection
The first step is obviously extracting or collecting the data. However, while extracting, it is vital to ensure that the data maintains its integrity.
Step 2. Data Analysis
After extraction, the data is usually collected ambiguously. So, the investigators need to arrange the data to get the necessary information out of it. This process is known as data analysis.
Step 3. Data Presentation
Lastly, the information extracted needs to be presented in a legally acceptable format. In short, the data is arranged for non-technicals to understand.
The Bottomline
Computer forensics involves any and all format of digital information that can be used to solve a case. In some cases, this information can determine the difference between life and death. In others, this information may simply lead to more puzzles that need to be solved.
Nonetheless, the technology has undoubtedly helped law enforcement agencies to make steady leaps in tackling modern-day crimes.