Book Image

Practical Digital Forensics

By : Richard Boddington
Book Image

Practical Digital Forensics

By: Richard Boddington

Overview of this book

Digital Forensics is a methodology which includes using various tools, techniques, and programming language. This book will get you started with digital forensics and then follow on to preparing investigation plan and preparing toolkit for investigation. In this book you will explore new and promising forensic processes and tools based on ‘disruptive technology’ that offer experienced and budding practitioners the means to regain control of their caseloads. During the course of the book, you will get to know about the technical side of digital forensics and various tools that are needed to perform digital forensics. This book will begin with giving a quick insight into the nature of digital evidence, where it is located and how it can be recovered and forensically examined to assist investigators. This book will take you through a series of chapters that look at the nature and circumstances of digital forensic examinations and explains the processes of evidence recovery and preservation from a range of digital devices, including mobile phones, and other media. This book has a range of case studies and simulations will allow you to apply the knowledge of the theory gained to real-life situations. By the end of this book you will have gained a sound insight into digital forensics and its key components.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Practical Digital Forensics
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgment
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Understanding the chain of custody


Whenever possible, great care must be taken when collecting and taking lawful possession of any physical objects that may potentially be used as evidence in legal cases. There are a number of important reasons why collected evidence must be safeguarded from contamination. Preventing any intentional or unintentional tampering of the evidence is paramount. If the evidence is not maintained in pristine condition, some inconvenient and probing challenge from the opposing legal team may well be anticipated.

If the evidence is seen to be tainted in some way, then its admissibility is questionable. Not unreasonably, it should, as a matter of course, be challenged because it is possibly unreliable and its authenticity is in serious doubt. In criminal cases, where there is doubt about evidence, the jury would clearly be placed in a difficult position trying to unravel the truth and determine the reliability of a questionable exhibit. In such circumstances, the judge...