Book Image

Cloud Forensics Demystified

By : Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Mansoor Haqanee
Book Image

Cloud Forensics Demystified

By: Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Mansoor Haqanee

Overview of this book

As organizations embrace cloud-centric environments, it becomes imperative for security professionals to master the skills of effective cloud investigation. Cloud Forensics Demystified addresses this pressing need, explaining how to use cloud-native tools and logs together with traditional digital forensic techniques for a thorough cloud investigation. The book begins by giving you an overview of cloud services, followed by a detailed exploration of the tools and techniques used to investigate popular cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Progressing through the chapters, you’ll learn how to investigate Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and containerized environments such as Kubernetes. Throughout, the chapters emphasize the significance of the cloud, explaining which tools and logs need to be enabled for investigative purposes and demonstrating how to integrate them with traditional digital forensic tools and techniques to respond to cloud security incidents. By the end of this book, you’ll be well-equipped to handle security breaches in cloud-based environments and have a comprehensive understanding of the essential cloud-based logs vital to your investigations. This knowledge will enable you to swiftly acquire and scrutinize artifacts of interest in cloud security incidents.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Part 1: Cloud Fundamentals
6
Part 2: Forensic Readiness: Tools, Techniques, and Preparation for Cloud Forensics
10
Part 3: Cloud Forensic Analysis – Responding to an Incident in the Cloud

Google Workspace Admin console and security features

Shifting to the administrative hub of Google Workspace, the upcoming section will provide a look at the Admin console. This central dashboard doesn’t merely serve as a control panel for administrators but houses pivotal features such as the Alert Center API, Google Vault, DLP, and audit logs, which collectively play a critical role in monitoring, preserving, forensics, and securing the environment as incident responders. Let’s take a closer look:

  • Alert Center: Google Workspace’s Alert Center API provides security alerts in real time, enabling admins to act quickly on potential issues such as phishing attacks or suspicious login attempts. Alert Center can be integrated with third-party SIEM solutions for better Incident Response (IR).
  • Vault: Google Vault allows for the retention, archiving, and eDiscovery of emails, chats, and files, much like Microsoft’s eDiscovery. This tool is critical for...