Digital Forensics Study Cards

Enhance Your Learning with Digital Forensics Flash Cards for quick understanding



Digital Forensics

The process of collecting, analyzing, and preserving electronic evidence to support investigations and legal proceedings.

Computer Investigations

The examination of digital devices and networks to uncover evidence of cybercrimes, unauthorized activities, or policy violations.

Data Recovery

The process of retrieving lost, deleted, or corrupted data from storage devices, such as hard drives, solid-state drives, or memory cards.

Forensic Analysis

The examination and interpretation of digital evidence using specialized tools and techniques to reconstruct events and determine their significance.

Techniques and Tools

Various methods and software applications used in digital forensics, including imaging, hashing, keyword searching, timeline analysis, and steganography detection.

Best Practices

Recommended guidelines and procedures for conducting digital forensic investigations, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and admissibility of evidence.

Digital Evidence Examination

The systematic analysis of digital evidence, such as emails, documents, images, and logs, to extract relevant information and establish facts.

Cybercrime Investigation

The process of identifying, tracking, and prosecuting individuals or groups involved in cybercrimes, such as hacking, fraud, or data breaches.

Network Forensics

The investigation of network traffic, protocols, and devices to identify security incidents, intrusions, or unauthorized activities.

Mobile Forensics

The examination of mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to recover evidence related to criminal activities, digital fraud, or data theft.

Incident Response

The coordinated approach to handling and mitigating the impact of security incidents, including containment, eradication, and recovery.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The adherence to laws, regulations, and ethical standards while conducting digital forensic investigations, ensuring privacy and maintaining chain of custody.

Chain of Custody

The documentation and tracking of the chronological history of evidence, ensuring its integrity and admissibility in court.

Volatility

The tendency of digital evidence to change or disappear over time, requiring timely acquisition and preservation to maintain its integrity.

File Carving

The process of extracting files or data fragments from storage media without relying on file system metadata, often used in data recovery or forensic analysis.

RAM Analysis

The examination of volatile memory (RAM) to identify running processes, open network connections, or artifacts left by malicious activities.

Timeline Analysis

The creation of a chronological sequence of events based on timestamps and metadata, aiding in the reconstruction of digital incidents or user activities.

Hashing

The process of generating a unique digital fingerprint (hash value) for a file or data, used for integrity verification and identification of known files.

Keyword Searching

The identification of specific words or phrases within digital evidence, facilitating the discovery of relevant information or incriminating evidence.

Steganography Detection

The detection and analysis of hidden information or files within digital media, such as images or audio, often used for covert communication or data exfiltration.

Data Acquisition

The process of making a forensic copy or image of digital evidence, ensuring its preservation and preventing alteration or contamination.

Data Analysis

The examination and interpretation of digital evidence to identify patterns, relationships, or anomalies, aiding in the reconstruction of events or identification of suspects.

Data Validation

The verification of the integrity and accuracy of digital evidence, ensuring that it has not been tampered with or modified during the investigation process.

Forensic Imaging

The process of creating a bit-by-bit copy or image of a storage device, preserving its content and structure for further analysis or investigation.

Metadata

The descriptive information about digital files or objects, including timestamps, file sizes, author names, or device identifiers, often used in forensic analysis.

Data Carving

The extraction of files or data fragments from unallocated space or free space on storage media, often used in recovering deleted or hidden information.

Forensic Report

A comprehensive document summarizing the findings, analysis, and conclusions of a digital forensic investigation, often used as evidence in legal proceedings.

Malware Analysis

The examination and reverse engineering of malicious software to understand its behavior, functionality, and potential impact on systems or networks.

Data Breach

The unauthorized access, acquisition, or disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, often resulting in financial loss, reputational damage, or legal consequences.

Forensic Toolkit (FTK)

A popular computer forensics software used for acquiring, analyzing, and managing digital evidence, supporting various file systems and data formats.

EnCase Forensic

A widely used computer forensics software for acquiring, analyzing, and reporting on digital evidence, offering advanced search and data recovery capabilities.

Volatility Framework

An open-source collection of tools and techniques for analyzing volatile memory (RAM) in digital forensics investigations, supporting multiple operating systems.

Wireshark

A popular network protocol analyzer used for capturing and analyzing network traffic, aiding in the identification of security incidents or suspicious activities.

Autopsy

An open-source digital forensics platform used for analyzing disk images, file systems, and mobile devices, offering keyword searching and timeline analysis features.

Sleuth Kit

An open-source collection of command-line tools for digital forensics analysis, supporting file system analysis, data carving, and metadata extraction.

Write Blocker

A hardware or software device used to prevent write operations to storage media during the acquisition or examination of digital evidence, ensuring its integrity.

Chain of Volatility

The order in which volatile memory (RAM) should be collected and analyzed during a digital forensic investigation, starting with the most volatile data.

Live Forensics

The analysis of a running system or network to collect volatile data and gather real-time information about ongoing activities or security incidents.

Forensic Duplication

The process of creating an exact replica or clone of a storage device, preserving its content and structure for further analysis or investigation.

Data Wiping

The secure deletion or erasure of data from storage media, making it unrecoverable using standard data recovery techniques, often used for data sanitization.

Data Encryption

The process of converting plaintext data into ciphertext using cryptographic algorithms, ensuring confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.

Data Hiding

The concealment of data within other files, objects, or media, often used for covert communication, steganography, or data exfiltration.

Data Integrity

The assurance that data remains unchanged and uncorrupted during storage, transmission, or processing, often achieved through checksums or digital signatures.

Data Retention

The practice of storing and preserving data for a specific period of time, often required for legal, regulatory, or compliance purposes.

Data Recovery Software

Specialized software tools used to recover lost, deleted, or corrupted data from storage devices, offering file system repair and data extraction capabilities.

Data Exfiltration

The unauthorized transfer or extraction of data from a system or network, often performed by attackers or insiders for malicious purposes.

Data Preservation

The act of protecting and maintaining the integrity of digital evidence, preventing accidental or intentional alteration, destruction, or loss.