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

Summary

You have gained an understanding of core services and IAM features, as well as the auditing and compliance capabilities within Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill cloud services; they are the backbone of organizational data and activity, featuring extensive collaborative tools under a SaaS model. The SaaS architecture amplifies the complexity of conducting investigations, given that you are reliant on log sources provided by these platforms.

You’ve learned the importance of features such as Microsoft’s Unified Audit logs and Google Workspace’s Alert Center API, which are indispensable tools for incident responders. We delved into IAM, discussing how Azure AD and Google Identity Platform can be leveraged for more secure and monitored environments. Finally, we touched upon the security and compliance features in both suites, equipping you with the knowledge to ensure your organization remains compliant with...