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Computer forensics is the use of analytical and investigative methods to identify, collect, examine and preserve evidence that is magnetically stored or encoded in PC’s, hard disks, flash drives, PDA’s, mobile phones, etc. Computer forensics can be used as evidence for computer crimes or any other crime, in addition to finding out exactly what happened on a computing device and who is responsible for the occurrence.
The goal is to perform a structured investigation while maintaining a documented chain of evidence that can undergo the legal analysis of a court of law, for either a criminal or civil proceeding.
Gaining skills and knowledge to practice computer forensics will help ensure the overall integrity and survival of a network infrastructure.
The key elements of computer forensics are:
Computer forensics has become its own area of scientific expertise, with accompanying coursework and certification.
Forensic investigators typically follow the following set of procedures:
In the early 1980s, personal computers became more accessible to consumers, leading to an increase in computer criminal activity.
The discipline of computer forensics emerged during this time as a method to recover and investigate digital evidence for use in court.
The scope of a forensic analysis can vary from simple information retrieval to reconstructing a series of events.
Recently, commercial organizations have vastly benefited from computer forensics in a variety of cases such as:
The role of computer forensics will play an even more critical role in society as computer technology emerges. It is an extremely hot topic and is used widely in all industries. Corporations and government agencies hire computer forensics specialists, whenever they need a computer-related crime investigated.
The science of computer forensics has a limitless future as long as technology advances, the field will continue to expand. Any methodology, process or procedural breakdown in the application of forensics can jeopardize the company’s case.
The U.S. Department of Justice defines computer forensics as “the use of scientifically derived and proven methods toward the preservation, collection, validation, identification, analysis, interpretation, documentation and presentation of digital evidence derived from digital sources for the purpose of facilitating or furthering the reconstruction of events.”
Today, with the sophistication of powerful software and the technological ability to extract large amounts of data, 100% of the information may be analyzed.
Recent years have seen considerable development in computer forensic and network security.
This has resulted in an ever increasing range of new protocols, new encryption algorithms, new methods of authentication, smarter firewalls and intrusion detection techniques, and new anti-malware products. To a significant degree, the sciences of security and forensics have both seen rapid but separate developments. Considering the similarities between these two important fields, they often connect and work together.
To ensure that individuals achieve planned and desired CLFE results, the following steps will serve as guidance on how to become PECB Certified on Certified Lead Forensic Examiner – CLFE.
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