Why a forensic image of the computer disk is needed?
The forensic image of the original data allows the forensic examiners to analyze the copy of the drive in a way that will not tamper or damage any of the digital evidence contained on the device.
Why is a forensic image used?
A forensic image allows you to conduct your investigation on an exact copy of the source device. Now your source device may be a thumb drive, hard drive, or SSD drive. You do not want to do your exam on the original evidence due to its fragility. It is very easy to change digital evidence inadvertently.
What is meant by a forensic copy?
Definition(s): An accurate bit-for-bit reproduction of the information contained on an electronic device or associated media, whose validity and integrity has been verified using an accepted algorithm.
What are the types of forensic images?
Generally, there are three primary types of forensic image collection techniques: 1) creating a physical forensic image of the device; 2) collecting a logical image; or 3) doing a targeted collection of device data. Determining the appropriate forensic image format depends on the nature of the legal matter and budget.
What is a forensic image?
A forensic image (forensic copy) is a bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector direct copy of a physical storage device, including all files, folders and unallocated, free and slack space.
What is the difference between forensic imaging and copying?
Digital Forensics A forensic image of a hard drive captures everything on the hard drive, from the physical beginning to the physical end. Performing a “copy and paste” via the operating system is not the same as a forensic clone. A true forensic image captures both the active and latent data.
Is a forensic backup the same as a forensic image?
A forensic image is a verified bit for bit copy of an entire disk a forensic copy is the act of cloning files without changing the metadata and verifying each of the files with an MD5 hashsum.
How long does digital forensics take?
A complete examination of a 100 GB of data on a hard drive can have over 10,000,000 pages of electronic information and may take between 15 to 35 hours or more to examine, depending on the size and types of media. A reasonable quote can be obtained prior to the investigation's start.
Why does a forensic examiner take a fingerprint of a drive before and after imaging its contents?
The forensic examiner takes a "fingerprint" of the drive before and after imaging its contents to prove that the forensic image obtained from the drive includes every bit of data and caused no changes (writes) to the HDD.
What are the three primary types of forensic image formats?
Most IR teams will create and process three primary types of forensic images: complete disk, partition, and logical. Each has its purpose, and your team should understand when to use one rather than another.
Which is the standard forensic image format used?
EnCase is one of the most common image file formats created in forensic imaging. An EnCase image is a proprietary file type created by Guidance Software's EnCase software for use with its software packages.
How are digital forensic images collected?
Digital evidence can be collected from many sources. Obvious sources include computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, hard drives, CD-ROM, USB memory sticks, cloud computers, servers and so on. Non-obvious sources include RFID tags, and web pages which must be preserved as they are subject to change.
Why is it important to analyze images in a forensic investigation?
Since images can be used to determine responsibilities – or as part of evidence in administrative, civil, or criminal cases – the forensic analysis of digital images has become more significant in determining the origin and authenticity of a photograph in order to link an individual to a device, place, or event.
What is the importance of digital forensic?
“The main goal of computer forensics is to identify, collect, preserve, and analyze data in a way that preserves the integrity of the evidence collected so it can be used effectively in a legal case,” as stated by The United States' Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).
What is imaging in digital forensics?
Digital forensic imaging is defined as the processes and tools used in copying a physical storage device for conducting investigations and gathering evidence.
What is forensic imaging radiography?
Abstract. Forensic radiology is a specialized area of medical imaging using radiological techniques to assist physicians and pathologists in matters related to the law.