In order to conduct a proper examination of log files and other network data such as packet captures, they often have to be moved from the log source and examined offline. As with any source of evidence, log files or packet captures have to be handled with due care to ensure that they are not corrupted or modified during the transfer. One simple solution is to transfer the evidence immediately to a USB drive or similar removable medium. From there, a hash can be created for the evidence prior to any examination.
The acquisition of network evidence such as a packet capture or log file should be thoroughly documented. Incident response personnel may be acquiring log files and packet captures from a number of sources over the entire network. As a result, they should ensure that they can trace back every separate piece of evidence to its source as well as the...
