Cyber Security And Digital Forensics

An unauthorized and highly sophisticated malware that not been encountered previously by any security company attacked the point-of-sale systems where all the card information is stored. The outcome of this hacking been extensive and affected millions of customer’s personal and payment data was exposed, results in the payment card compromise of three million customers.

For this reason, it is imperative that the information gathered is reliable and accurate to ensure the evidence collected can be utilized by the digital forensic investigator for the current case (Ingalls & Rodriguez, 2011). Additionally, cyber incidents require digital forensic investigators to interview various individuals regarding the information needed for the case. According to the National Institute of Justice (2004), interviewing the system administrator, users, and employees of an organization regarding a cyber incident would provide investigators with valuable information; for example, user accounts, email accounts, network configuration, logs, and passwords. Furthermore, for digital forensic investigators to conduct an effective interview, they must have the proper tools and training to employ the interview process. For instance, formal procedures or instructions should be developed and implemented to ensure that the investigator follows a standard during all investigations. Additionally, training should be provided to ensure that digital forensic investigators comprehend by what means to prepare, conduct, and evaluate an interview. Furthermore, resources should be made available for digital forensic investigators to accomplish their tasks; for example, recording devices and references. Also, definitions should be provided to the digital forensic investigators for

Digital crime has been on the increase due to the increasing use of computer and internet. This has led the investigators with another method of fighting this crime. This is Computer Forensics, a process of going into computer hard drive and capturing basic information the user believed it has been erased.

Data is crucial to the success of any company and they are now increasing their efforts in soliciting and retrieving customer data to learn more about their client's preferences, likes, and dislikes. This, among other factors has attributed to a growing field of data science where data scientists learn to collect crucial data. While there are many types of data, this paper will primarily focus on digital data and how digital scientists can retrieve these data to support provide information for the crown or for the defense. This area has received more attention because criminals such as terrorists have realized the effectiveness of using digital devices to aid in their criminal endeavors (Reith, Carr & Gunsch, 2002, p.2). To combat this, law enforcement agencies are now relying on digital scientists to preserve, collect, analysis and interpret "digital evidence derived from digital sources" (Vincze, 2016, p.184) to help prevent cybercrime and prosecute (or exonerate) suspects. The purpose of this paper is then to illustrate why digital forensic is crucial to addressing the new dangers presented in our society by analyzing the strengths and demonstrating why the weaknesses of the field

New technology has spurred innovative ways to spend money. As mobile payment systems continually develop, consumer financial and personal information risk exposure. Industry officials state the technology is growing, but security specialists argue growth of will inevitably attract fraud. Smartphone owners must treat their phones as a miniature computer and equip proper anti-virus and malware software. Enacting preventative methods will help thwart security breaches over mobile networks. (Ladendorf, 2013)

Improvements in technology have demonstrated that with relative ease nefarious individuals can acquire various types of information with the use of computers, cellphones, tablets, databases and the internet. This information can be used for a large array of deeds, illegal activity being a major one. In an effort to combat this emerging type of crime, the Department of Justice, local law enforcement agencies, banks, retail stores, and investment firms are integrating computer forensics into their organizations. These crimes range from network security breaches at companies like Target and Home Depot to child pornography, the common thread is that the implicating evidence was found on an electronic media device.

Investigating a cyberstalking case presents a unique set of challenges. Evidence can be found in digital form, so it can be protected from being lost or damaged, or the complete opposite can be true and it can be easily lost, damaged, corrupted, or rendered inadmissible in court due to flawed forensic gathering practices. It is important, with cases involving digital media that the same procedures be followed when it comes to collecting evidence. Chain of custody documentation must still be kept. The right software must be used to directly copy any hardware seized or searched for investigative purposes.

The OS provides digital forensic investigators with the primary application where the files, folders, and logs of every event that has occurred involving the suspect’s information system can be located. Furthermore, this information can be utilized by the investigator’s to understand how incidents like network intrusion, malware installation, and insider file deletions have occurred. As a result, OS’s is the location where relevant information on incidents or unlawful activities can be discovered with the proper collection and examination

Digital forensics has been responsible for putting away thousands and thousands of criminals. Ranging from simple crime computer crimes to child pornography. To get quality evidence that can be admissible in court there are steps that are needed in preparing a computer investigation. There are also requirements for data recovery, as well as procedures for corporate investigations. “Digital forensics has become prevalent because law enforcement recognizes that modern day life includes a variety of digital devices that can be exploited for criminal activity, not just computer systems. While computer forensics tends to focus on specific methods for extracting evidence from a particular platform, digital forensics must be modeled such that it can encompass all types of digital devices, including future digital technologies” (Reith, Carr, and Gunsch, 2002).

Having digital forensic capabilities is very important in this era we are in. At our company, we have an in house forensics team that consists of a senior forensic investigator, project manager, computer forensic examiner, legal counsel, IT specialist, and three lab assistants.

To ensure accuracy programs rely on mathematical cyclic redundancy check (CRC). By using the CRC validation processes compare the original source of data with the acquired data collected. If the data that had been collected has not been altered in any way then the hash values will be exactly the same. If there is even a slight difference the MD5 will be different when it is hashed again. Anyone can be custodian of the duplicate drive because an undetected alteration would be impossible. The MD5 is one-way which means the procedure cannot be reversed to reveal anything about the data collected except that is

The science of digital forensics involves an amalgamation of computer science theories, knowledge of legal processes, “civil and criminal law as applicable to the use of computers, and activities performed and transactions conducted over internet and other networks” (WebFinance, 2017). With these varied disciplines, it is important especially when a difference in understanding of words and their definitions can mean significant changes impacting a person’s life, well-being, and even his or her family’s well-being. Not surprisingly, “Those involved in computer forensics often do not understand one other. Groups have evolved separately with only little interaction” (Peisert, Bishop, & Marzullo).

This research paper will be about computer security and forensics and how they affect many other fields. The research paper will go over what exactly is computer security and each and every branch or field that is essential for our everyday lives. This paper will explain the importance and the ways we can use security in each of the fields too. Computer security and forensics is an essential discipline that is utilized by many different fields.

Digital Forensic methods have to be continuously updated in order to effectively combat trends that enable users with intentions of destroying, concealing, altering and deleting digital evidence that can either link them to serious felonies or various computer crimes. Means for tampering with evidence involve the use of techniques that are classified as anti-forensics. Anti-forensics presents digital forensic investigators with several challenges, the greatest being connecting the perpetrator to a crime by identifying evidence of their use of it. If a perpetrator can properly conceal his/her tracks using anti-forensics then even if a digital forensic investigator can identify the use of anti-forensic tools on a system, they’d still have a daunting task ahead of them; proving what user used the tools and how it can be admissible as evidence in the court of law. These challenges have existed in the past, and exist even today as the field of digital forensics has to constantly evolve to keep up with its enemy, anti-forensics. However, experts are currently researching future ways to identify the presence of anti-forensics and some of the perpetrators are getting caught.

A proliferation in the amount of crimes and crime related data has lead to a demand in digital forensic investigation tools that helps the investigator to detect, analyze and investigate the criminal data stored on digital devices.