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Investigating Digital Crimes in Cloud Computing Environments

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.

a man in cloud forensics

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.

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