In this day and age, almost every investigation depends on digital evidence, which is stored in computers. Therefore, current digital investigations rely heavily on computer forensics, which seeks to unearth and examine digital evidence supporting legal, cybersecurity, and judicial operations.

When it comes to computer forensics, a proactive computer forensic technique involves taking measures to prevent possible dangers and risks from becoming full-blown cyber crises.

At Eclipse Forensics, we provide digital forensic services to protect individuals and companies from cyber attacks. We are a team of experienced cyber forensic experts, providing professional forensic services in Florida since 2005.

In order to strengthen the safety and reliability of digital infrastructure, this article delves into various proactive investigation approaches used by forensic computer analysts.

What Is Proactive Computer Forensic Investigation?

The term “proactive computer forensic investigation” describes the preventative measures performed by cyber forensic experts to find and fix vulnerabilities in computer systems before they can cause serious problems.

It is necessary to actively search for and analyze digital evidence, information, and network usage to spot abnormalities, weaknesses, or possible risks within an organization’s IT infrastructure.

This method aids businesses in improving their security against cyberattacks, lowering the likelihood of data breaches, and bolstering their defenses against hacking in general.

What Are the Top 5 Proactive Computer Forensic Techniques For Investigation?

1. Incident Response Procedures and Exercises

Consistent drills to assess the organization’s preparedness for different types of cyberattacks are also an integral part of a proactive investigation.

By practicing responses to a variety of hypothetical situations, reaction teams can perfect their protocols for dealing with actual emergencies.

2. Working on Threat Intelligence

Experts in the field of computer forensics are constantly on the lookout for new ways to obtain threat intelligence, such as threat intelligence feeds, surveillance of the dark web, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).

By examining this information, digital forensic experts can spot new vulnerabilities, attack trends, and threats ahead of time, allowing businesses and individuals to better prepare for them.

3. Network Traffic Analysis

Analyzing network data is a preventative method for spotting problems and security holes. Computer forensic experts look for anomalies in network activity, transmissions of data, and communication protocols as possible indicators of malicious intent.

4. Malware Assessment

Forensic computer analysts can gain a deeper understanding of the capabilities and behavior of current and emerging threats with the help of proactive malware analysis.

Researchers can improve their capability to spot and counteract malware attacks by analyzing software samples in a research environment.

5. Consistent Surveillance and Danger Prevention

In order to discover any malicious activity, proactive investigative efforts require constant analysis of networks and systems. Plus, to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, threat hunters actively look for risks that may have evaded conventional safety precautions.

Eclipse Forensics Is Your Go-To Cyber Forensic Expert

Staying ahead of cyber attacks and maintaining strong cybersecurity defenses requires proactive computer forensics techniques. You may improve your entire cyber position and defend against developing cyber attacks by proactively identifying and addressing possible risks.

Eclipse Forensics is a team of experienced forensic computer analysts led by Jim Stafford. We have been offering professional digital forensic services in Florida since 2005 and have worked on numerous cases. We aim to assist governmental agencies, private lawyers, and individuals with cybersecurity issues.

So, get in touch with us now and be secure.

Have you ever experienced the panic of losing critical files?

Losing important files due to accidental deletion, cyberattacks, hardware failure, computer viruses, or system crashes can be a nightmare for individuals and businesses.

The fear of permanently losing valuable data can cause stress and frustration, especially if no backup is available. However, data recovery is a ray of hope that can help retrieve those precious files and bring peace of mind.

Eclipse Forensics is a team of cyber forensic experts led by Jim Stafford. We recover pictures and files for forensic purposes. Law enforcement agencies, as well as all levels of government, as well as private solicitors and citizens, can take advantage of our digital forensic services, as we can retrieve all forms of files.

Let’s enter the world of data recovery and discuss some tips for retrieving lost files.

What Are The Tips For Retrieving Lost Files?

Put Down That Device

The first tip for retrieving lost files is to stop using the device. It is imperative to promptly halt using the gadget or storage medium where the data was saved upon realizing that files have been lost or erased. If you continue using the system after deletion, the lost files may become impossible to restore.

Look In The Recycle Bin

Another common tip for retrieving lost files is to look in the Recycle Bin first if you think you may have deleted some important files by accident. You can quickly recover lost data from these temporary storage areas.

If you find your deleted data in the recycle bin, use the “Restore” option from the context menu to retrieve it. The file will go back to its original location.

Make Use Of Data Recovery Software

When it comes to retrieving deleted files, file recovery software can be a godsend. If you’ve lost or erased data, these programs can help you regain it.

Talk To A Reputable Data Recovery Company

It’s best to hire a data recovery service when the data is extremely important, or the storage device has been physically damaged.

Data recovery professionals use specialized equipment and methods to retrieve files from destroyed or inaccessible media.

Eclipse Forensics Is Your Reputable Data Recovery Agency

Eclipse Forensics are digital forensic experts with all the expertise to recover pictures and other files for forensics. However, if you have lost a file for other reasons, we can still help you. We have been providing expert services since 2005 and have worked on numerous cases.

Get in touch with us now, and we’ll handle your lost data issues.

The importance of investigating cybercrimes inside cloud computing systems grows as more organizations and individuals move their data and apps to the cloud.

Digital evidence saved in the cloud is the focus of cloud forensics, a subfield of computer forensics dedicated to its retrieval, preservation, and analysis.

At Eclipse Forensics, we offer digital forensic services in Florida. We have a team of experienced cyber forensic experts who have worked on numerous cases since 2005.

So, let’s discuss how cloud forensics work.

What is Cloud Computing?

The term “cloud computing” describes the practice of providing customers with on-demand access to a shared pool of remotely hosted computing resources and services. It makes it possible to manage data and run applications with greater scalability, flexibility, and efficiency than with local servers.

What is Cloud Forensics?

Cloud forensics refers to investigating and analyzing digital proof in cloud settings. Information on potential or occurred cybercrimes or safety breaches can be uncovered by collecting and analyzing data preserved in cloud-based services.

What Are The Challenges of Cloud Forensics?

Data Fragmentation:

The difficulty in understanding an incident grows when data is spread across numerous servers or geographical areas.

Multi-tenancy nature:

In cloud environments, a large number of users share the same resources. This causes issues of security, access control, and information contamination.

Jurisdictional issues:

Data may be stored in locations with wildly different legal requirements.

How Does Cloud Forensics Conduct an Investigation?

The investigation is conducted in 4 steps;

Step#1: Identification

The initial step in cloud forensics is to locate the cloud service providers (CSPs) involved in the investigation and extract the data from their systems. They evaluate whether the issue is within the cloud environment.

Step#2: Collection And Preservation

The integrity of cloud-based evidence must be preserved at all costs. Investigators are responsible for overseeing the forensically-sound gathering and preservation of evidence.

Evidence collection from cloud settings can be done in several ways, including through information extraction and forensic photography.

Step#3: Analyze

Once the evidence is gathered, it is analyzed using forensic methods in the cloud. Some examples of this kind of analysis are metadata dissection, correlation of information, and event reconstruction. Data analysis and information extraction are made easier with the help of cloud forensics tools and technology.

Step #4: Presentation

A full forensic report details the findings of the inquiry. The investigation methodology, evidence gathered, analysis performed, and findings are all documented in this report.

Get Professional Cloud Forensic Services From Eclipse Forensics

Eclipse Forensics are forensic computer analysts in Florida, working on various cases since 2005. Led by Jim Stafford, our cloud forensics services are available to government agencies, individual lawyers, and the general public.

Contact us now, and let us take care of your cloud cybersecurity.

In the realm of digital investigations, an integrated approach to digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) is becoming increasingly popular. This approach requires a combination of dynamic yet novel thinking. The combination of incident response expertise and digital investigative services is important for handling the complexities of modern cybersecurity situations.

What is DFIR?

Digital forensics incident response is a combination of the following.

Digital Forensics

Digital forensics is an investigative branch of forensic science that gathers, analyzes and presents digital evidence like system data and user activity. Digital forensics is used to figure out what happened on a digital device and it is most commonly employed in litigations, regulatory investigations and the internal investigations in a company. It is also used to uncover criminal activities and similar digital investigations.

Incident Response

Incident response is similar to digital forensics as it is used to collect and analyze data to investigate computer systems. This happens during the process of responding to a security incident. Therefore, while investigation is important, other steps like recovery and containment are compared against each other.

Challenges in DFIR

Digital Forensics

Scattered Evidence

With time, handling digital evidence has become difficult. The reason is that evidence is no longer dependent on a single host. Instead, it comes from a variety of sources, and therefore, it is scattered in various locations. As a result, digital forensics needs more time and tools to gather evidence and analyze threats.

Rampant Technological Advancements

It seems counterintuitive but it’s true. With an evolution of digital devices, operating systems and computer programs, things are changing at a rapid pace. As a result, it has become challenging for digital forensic experts to manage large amounts of data across different formats and devices.

Incident Response

Growing Data

With time, companies have become more vulnerable to digital threats. However, they cannot find the right cybersecurity talent to address big information volumes, as well as threat data. As a result, companies are turning to DFIR experts to bridge the skills gap, while retaining important threat support.

Extra Attack Surface

The attack surface of today is vast. Also, today’s software and computing systems are making it difficult to get one’s hands on an accurate network overview, which increases the risk of use errors.

DFIR: Best Practices

Digital Forensics

The success of the integration of digital forensics and incident response depends on how quick and thorough the response is. It is very important for digital forensic teams to be experienced and to possess the right DFIR tools and processes to provide a prompt and effective response to a situation.

Digital forensics expertise is beneficial for various reasons like increased capability to discover the root cause behind an incident, and identifying the scope and impact as accurately as possible. The employment of correct investigative tools ensures quick discovery of vulnerabilities that often result in unintentional exposure and attacks.

Incident Response

Incident response services exist for the real time management of an incident. The incident response best practices include planning, preparation, prompt and accurate response for reducing reputational harm, business downtime and financial loss.

When combined together, the DFIR best practices include determining the cause of an issue, the correct identification and location of all available evidence, while providing ongoing support to make sure your company’s security posture is bolstered for upcoming challenges.

Final Word

To know more about the efficacy of DFIR, head over to Eclipse Forensics’ website, or call (904) 797-1866. We offer the best digital services like audio/video forensics and data redaction. If you are new to digital forensic services, you can educate yourself by visiting and reading our scholarly written blogs.

Digital forensics has made it easier to solve digital crime cases in the most innovative fashion possible. Digital forensic experts deploy a host of tools and approaches to solve cases. Two of these approaches are computer and network forensics. Often, they are mistaken for one another, but are they really the same? Not quite.

What Is Computer Forensics?

Computer forensics is the investigation and analysis carried out for gathering and preserving evidence from a computing device so it is presentable in the court of law. It is a structured investigation that maintains a chain of evidence to figure out what happened and who was behind it. However, it has legal compliance guidelines that make pieces of information admissible in legal activities.

How Does It Work?

Data Collection: Digital forensic experts isolate a device to prevent any tampering. Then, a digital copy, AKA forensic image, is made. The device is locked away, so it cannot be accessed by malicious hands.

Analysis: Next, the investigators analyze the forensic image within a sterile environment. For hard drive investigations, tools like Autopsy and Wireshark are used.

Presentation: The final step is the presentation of evidence in the court. It is then used by the judges to reach a conclusion in a legal proceeding.

Computer Forensic Techniques

Reverse Steganography:

Steganography is the process of hiding important information in a digital file or a data stream. Reverse steganography is a technique used by digital forensic experts to find out whether or not the image is recovered in its original form after the extraction of data. Hashing is used to figure out similarities and differences between the original file and the copy.

Cross-Drive Analysis

In cross-drive analysis, cross-referencing and correlation are used for information found across various devices to search, analyze and preserve information that is crucial for a digital investigation.

Live Analysis

Live analysis is the process in which a device is analyzed from within the operating system while it is functioning. This analysis used volatile data, which is stored on cache or RAM.

Deleted File Recovery

This approach searches a computer system and its memory for file fragments that were once deleted but leave their traces in other places on the same machine. It is also known as file carving or data carving.

What Is Network Forensics?

Interestingly, network forensics is an offshoot of computer forensics. However, it focuses on the retrieval of information surrounding a cybercrime. Some common forensic activities include the capturing, recording, and analysis of events that have occurred on a network to establish a source of attacks. To understand the pattern of attacks, investigators must understand network protocols, email protocols, file transfer protocols, and web protocols.

Methods

• Catch Me If You Can: This method involves the capturing of all network traffic. It also guarantees that no omission of important network events takes place. It is a time-consumingprocess, and the storage efficiency tends to drop with an increase in storage volume.
• Stop, Look,and Listen: The administrators keep an eye on each data packet moving through the network, but they will only capture the ones that are suspicious. This method doesn’t need ample space, but it does need processing power.

Primary Sources

Log Files: Such files exist on active directory servers, proxy servers, web servers, intrusion detection systems, firewalls, DNS, and dynamic host control protocols. It is worth noting that logs don’t take up too much space.

Full Packet Data Capture: Full packet data capture is the direct product of the “catch it if you can” method. Bigger enterprises have bigger networks, and it can be harmful for them to keep full packet data capture for long periods.

Tools Used in Network Forensics

Email Tracker Pro:

Shows the location of the device from which the emails are sent.

Wireshark:

Captures and analyzes network traffic between different devices.

Web Historian:

Shows a record of uploaded and downloaded files on visited web pages.

Final Word

At Eclipse Forensics, we offer some of the best digital forensic services like data redaction, forensic audio/video services, and file extraction. To benefit from our services, visit our website today or call (904) 797-1866.

Most criminals become very good at covering up their tracks and deleting all incriminating data from their devices. However, a digital forensic expert acting as a computer forensics expert witness can recover that data given a chance using the following techniques.

Disk Imaging

This is a process where a bit-by-bit copy of the entire disk being studied becomes copied onto another disk where it can be analyzed and altered without touching the original piece of evidence, keeping the original device intact.

File Carving

The process of extracting deleted or incomplete files from the image of a device through the identification of a file header, footer, or any other signature. This method is used to extract information that may seem lost forever integral to an investigation. This process can be used in situations in which deleted data fragments or files without proper metadata are extracted from the image of a device using any other signatures or patterns possible to detect them.

Unallocated Space Analysis

Unallocated space on a drive is the space where deleted files and data can be stored. Analyzing this space can help us detect, decipher, and analyze deleted files and data fragments to be able to collect any evidence necessary, such as incriminating emails, media, or more.

Data Reconstruction

In this process, pieces of data or several fragments are drawn together to make a cohesive picture and bring the data back to its original state before being deleted or corrupted. This is a criminal’s worse nightmare.

Hexadecimal Analysis

Experts in the field have a discerning eye. They can tell when something is wrong with a digital device from a mile away. That’s where hexadecimal analysis comes in. In this process, experts break down the data into the rawest form and analyze the hexadecimal codes for any patterns or signs of being tampered with. It is also used to detect metadata to make file recovery easier.

Error Checking and Repair Tools

Experts in the field also rely on the latest developed tools to detect and repair errors in corrupted files. Sometimes, we are successful in finding the lost files, but they are corrupted beyond reproach, or at least that is what we think. There is software that can repair the corruption and get most, if not all, of your data back before it could have been exploited.

Log Analysis

The system and all applications within it leave detailed logs of every action. These logs can be located and studied extensively for any lost evidence or proof needed. You can find information on events like timestamps and more that can serve as evidence in court. It is also highly useful information for extracting lost files.

Live Memory Analysis

This technique examines the volatile or live memory within the RAM to extract information such as passwords or encryption keys.

A volatile memory dump is used for offline analysis of live memory. The raw memory dump has a wealth of information often overlooked.

Conclusion

A digital forensic engineer utilizes many techniques and tools while on the job. These range from simple data recovery processes to highly sophisticated analyses to find and reconstruct data fragments. Contact us for data forensic expert and more!