Introduction As the technology hits our life, we have become more dependent on computers or digital technology. This is because digital technology offers us everything we desire with a single click of a mouse or pressing a button. Today, many people prefer to shop online and many companies use computer systems to secure their important data or information. But what if the important business information, data or files has been hacked by a hacker and will be misused? Well! Surely you will go for an investigation! When a company or an individual becomes a target of investigation, the first thing to be inspected will be the computer system. The entire process of investigation digital system is executed by a computer forensics expert!
Computer Forensics is not merely for the data or information recovery from computers and their wide networks. We cannot call it a method that can be executed only by software. Most importantly, it is not what can be done by any professional or certified IT Forensic expert. Basically, Computer forensics is a budding science that was urbanized by the U.S Federal law enforcement agency in the mid to late 1980s. Also, this is considered as the art of identifying, processing and investigating digital fingerprints. Official Explanation of Computer Forensics •The collection and analysis of digital data or information in a precise, authentic and complete form for giving as proof in a civil court is known as Computer forensics. •The term computer forensic covers any kind of digital data that acts as a proof of any crime that can provide a link between victim or the crime. Synopsis of Computer Forensics In simple terms, Computer Forensics is the computer examination application and analysis methods of determining potential legal proof. The evidence or proof can be related to misuse of computer such as theft or destruction of intellectual property, ownership dispute, digital fraud or child pornography. The specialists of computer forensics Miami can easily discover the lost data that is stored, deleted, damaged or encrypted from the system. In the last five years, the field of Computer Forensics has gone through ample changes. The technology which was less important for us is now an essential part of the criminal investigation process. Legal features associated with Computer Forensics No matter in what part of Miami you are residing, getting familiar with legal features of Computer Forensics is very important. It is vital for security professionals consider their policy matters and decisions in the perspective of presenting laws. For example before you monitors and gathers data or information regarding to computer intrusion, you must be authorized. Moreover, there are no any legal ramifications to use tools or equipment for security monitoring. However, to the courts, Computer Forensics is quite a latest discipline that is used by existing laws for prosecuting computer related crimes or thefts. Different Stages of Computer Forensics Investigation in Miami
Basically, the computer forensics process is categorized into 6 different categories. However, it is important that during the examination these stages should be flexible. For instance during the stage of ‘Analysis’ the examiner can find a new escort which would warrant other computers being examined and then you can move to the Evaluation stage. Let us take a brief look on the 6 stages of computer forensics: Stage 1 Readiness The first stage is Forensics Readiness. This stage is quite important and generally ignored stage in the Computer Forensics examination process. This process starts with educating clients about the preparing of the system. For instance the examination or investigation will offer strong proof if the computer or the server’s built-in logging or auditing systems are properly switched on. For the Forensics investigator, this stage of Readiness will offer complete training, constant testing and verification of the complete system. In this stage he deals with unexpected issues such as child pornography, and other issues related to the computer crime. Stage 2 Evaluation The next stage is ‘Evaluation stage.’ Under this stage, obtaining clear instruction, risk analysis, and allocation of roles or resources are involved. Risk scrutiny for law requirement may incorporate an evaluation of the probability of physical danger on entering a suspect's property and how best to manage it. Business associations additionally need to be mindful of health and security issues, and of conceivable dangers – money related and to their notoriety – on tolerating a specific project. Stage 3 Collection The principle part of the collection stage, procurement, has been mentioned previously. If in case, securing is to be done on location instead of in a computer forensics research center, then this stage would incorporate distinguishing, securing and archiving the scene. Meetings or interviews with workers who may hold data important to the examination would generally be done at this stage. The collection stage likewise includes the marking and sacking of evidential things from the site. These ought to be fixed in numbers and attention must be given to safely and securely transporting the material to the inspector's research center. Stage 4 Analysis The analysis relies upon the specifics of each one occupation. The inspector normally gives feedback to the customer throughout the analysis stage and from this discourse the examination may take an alternate way or be contracted to particular zones. Analysis must be faultless, intensive, fair, recorded, and repeatable and finished in the time-scales accessible and assets distributed. There are heaps tools accessible for the analysis of computer forensics. It is our assumption that the analyst ought to utilize any tool they feel good with as long as they can support their decision. The fundamental necessities of a machine scientific apparatus is that it does what it is intended to do and the main path for inspectors to make sure of this is for them to customarily test and adjust the apparatuses they use before dissection happens. Double apparatus confirmation can affirm result reliability throughout the investigation (if with instrument "A" the inspector discovers curio "X" at area 'Y', then device "B" ought to repeat these results). Stage 5 Presentation This stage generally includes the analyst creating an organized report about their discoveries, tending to the focuses in the introductory instructions alongside any resulting guidelines. It would additionally cover whatever data is available, which the inspector deems applicable to the examination. Stage 6 Review Alongside with the readiness stage, the review stage is frequently neglected or ignored. This may be because of the apparent expenses of doing work that is not billable, or the need 'to get on with the following job'. Though, this stage joined into every examination can help in saving money and raise the level of value by making future examinations more productive and time successful. A review is basically an examination that might be straightforward, snappy and can start throughout any of the above stages. It may incorporate an essential investigation of what happened, what went well, and how the gaining from this might be used into future examinations'. Feedback from the instructing party ought to likewise be looked for. Any lessons you have learnt from this stage must be connected to the following examination and sustained into the readiness stage. Types of cases handled by computer forensics Miami There are numerous types of cases handled by computer forensics in Miami. Here is the list of the cases
Cyber Harassment
Probate Matters
Matrimonial and Family matters
Regulatory Actions
Contract disputes
Employment issues
Class Actions
Criminal matters
Contract and business disputes
Embezzlement
Dealer/broker disputes
Breach of Fiduciary Duty
Thefts of trade secrets
Trademark or patent disputes
Intellectual property theft
Becoming a Computer Forensics Expert in Miami With the growing demand of computers in the IT industry for securing data and information, digital crimes are also growing with a fast pace. Due to this, many people choose to become a Computer Forensics expert due to a bright future in the field. However, understanding the basics of the credentials required is very crucial to become a Computer Forensics expert in Miami. In order to become Computer Forensics expert, it is important you must have an enquiring mind that can interpret data easily. Moreover, you have interest also to become a CF analyst. The other qualities required are:
Attention to detail or facts
Ability to remain objective
Ability to work under deadlines
Excellent IT Skills
A Creative approach to solve different cyber problems
Well-organized and systematic approach to work
Knowledge of legislation and Information security standards
There are different kinds of diploma and degree courses available that can be an added advantage when done from a recognized school or institution. These courses are:
Computer Forensics Certificate
Associates degree in Computer Forensics
Bachelors degree in Computer Forensics
Masters degree in Computer Forensics
With the fast -changing technology being updated can help you a lot. Especially in Computer forensics program, it is important to know precisely about all kinds of cyber crime and have ability to deal with them. Reference Link: to know all the aspects about Computer Forensics Miami or other U.S areas click on http://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/forensics.pdf
Is there such a thing as a realistic crime show? The best answer would be no. If you spend your Saturday nights tuned into CSI Miami you probably have some serious misconceptions about computer forensics. Erroneous depictions of computer forensics are abundant in the media today; especially in television shows CSI, Law and Order and Criminal Minds. Television shows have surpassed Sherlock Holmes’ methods of deductive reasoning techniques to arrive at ludicrous, exaggeratedand inaccurate techniques. Let’s analyze a typical television crime scene.
Above is a basic illustration of a scenario from a popular television crime drama but completely the opposite. This fast-paced exciting action is solely for entertainment purposes and a travesty of the true nature of computer forensics.While the media is displaying these thrilling dramas, they are significantly tarnishing the primary principles that govern computer forensics. Computer Forensics in Its True Form To clear up some of these misconceptions that these farcical scripted televisions shows have created, let us take a deeper look at Computer Forensics. But first let us look at why computer forensics it is essential to fighting crime in modern societies. Why Is Computer Forensics Important? As technology advances, electronic devices are being used as an essential element in criminal activities. Hacking, phishing, cyberstalking and identity theft are more popular now than ever before. Electronic devices can also hold evidence in the form of internet history, files and emails needed for criminal investigations. Law enforcement authorities have replied to the increase in computer crimes by applying proven computer forensic techniques. Computer forensics is used to reveal evidence on electronic devices that is required for criminal investigations. Many businesses today look to computer forensics to solve intellectual property theft, fraud investigations, bankruptcy investigations and industrial espionage.
Computer Forensics Miami has expanded significantly over the years in response to the increase in computer crimes in the region. Government authorities are fervent about prosecuting people who participate in computer crimes since they are often accompanied by further criminal schemes. Many organizations have emerged over the years to assist businesses in Miami in the fight against computer crime. What is Computer Forensics? Computer forensics, commonly referred to as cyber forensicshas expanded significantly over the years to become one of the most essential sciences utilized for solving crime today. It involves:identifying,analyzing, extracting, recording and preserving information complied and located within a computer systems needed for legal evidence. Investigators are required to keenly follow the key principles of computer forensics to avoid failures in the investigation. Nearly everything you do on a computer system will leave a trace; in criminal investigations this is referred to as digital evidence or electronic evidence. Digital evidence has to be carefully traced due to its fragility and is unnoticeable by the human eye. Similarly to other traceable evidence such as fingerprints, blood and hairs, digital evidence has to be carefully analyzed extracted, recorded and preserved to safeguard the fidelity of the evidence. Principles of Computer Forensics That Television Got Wrong Data Preservation Computer forensics at its initial stage follows the principles of a physician’s; do no harm. The first step in computer forensic is data preservation. In comparison to other types of traceable evidence, digital evidence has to be duplicated identically to avoid the disruption of the original data which could affect the investigation. Entering information, loading programs, conducting routine checks or simply powering off the computer system can alter the information available on the hard drive. The investigator is expected to: •Ensure that the original evidence is not disrupted. •Protect the computer system from viruses •Ensure that the original data is protected from electromagnetic and mechanical damage. •Follow proper forensic guidelines to avoid failures in the investigation. Any mishaps in the above guidelines regarding the preservation of the original evidence may result in the loss of vital information needed for the investigation and may impinge the integrity of the information, making it unacceptable in court. Acquisition During the data acquisition process the investigator is expected to: •Recover information from partially inaccessible devices •Collect active data from devices •Recover deleted emails and files •Retrieve information from unused and inactive areas on the computer. •Retrieve encrypted and password protected data. •Collect data from files, e-calendars and contact managers Generally investigators would power off the computer system and utilize a write-blocker to ensure that the original data is not altered during the ensuing processes. The device that the information is copied to is first pre-wiped then cleaned and tested sequentially to ensure that there is no additional information being hosted on the device. Traditionally, investigators used devices such as a hard disk drive to duplicate the evidence; however, modern devices with solid state drive memory that cannot be write-protected are getting increasing popular. Due to the volatile nature of these devices, powering off the device may alter the original information. In these situations the investigator has to carry out live acquisition to retrieve the information. To do so the investigator runs a program on the computer to duplicate the evidence to a hard drive. During the process the original state of the computer can be altered, hence, the investigator has to take a detailed record of his actions for the evidence to be permissible. Despite how the data is acquired, a duplicate of the information is made using proper imaging software. This will provide the investigators with a snapshot of the information located within the media. Taking the images does not affect the integrity of the original data and investigators are not required to reboot the system. After this the computer forensic analysis will commerce. Computer Forensic Analysis Data Recovery: This is a vital stage in computer forensic analysis. In this stage the investigator presents a comprehensive report of the evidence applicable to the investigation. The data that is recovered during this process can be categorized as active data, recovered or unused. •Active Data: This refers to the original information that is available on the hard drive. This is the information that was accessible to the owner of the computer. •Unused Data: This refers to available “free space” and unassigned sections of the hard drive, including files that make up the parts of the hard drive that is free and the files that have been deleted. •Recovered data: This refers to specific information and files that were restored after being removed from the active data. Investigators are able to recover some files completely to their original state and can be identified easily. Some files may only be recovered in fragments and may need to be carefully analyzed to restore to normalcy. Computer Analysis: Aside from recovering data, investigators should also be able to tell if the evidence is damaged, deleted or tampered with. To do so they must scrutinize the information that was recovered (this includes files that were deleted and information from unused or inactive areas on the hard drive) andthe history of the content within the files. This means that they can trace everything that was done on the computer system prior to their discovery. The analysis should include various areas such as: •The Identification of significant dates and keywords necessary for the investigation. •Uncovering all activities that took place on the computer system, including internet history and email activities •Locating copies of all documents drafted •Validating information in files as well as the time stamp and date. •A comparison between computer codes needed to determine if the evidence is original or if it has been tampered with. •A recommendation of what evidence the computer system should contain and the best methods that can be used to locate the evidence. Review and Feedback After the analysis is completed the investigators can assist the client in court by: •Organizing compelling reports to reveal all the evidence that was discovered. •Presenting information for pleadings and affidavits. •Sourcing reliable testimonies and credible reports. By meeting the requirements outlined above, the investigator will be able to complement the case and achieve a conviction. Investigators should strive to meet these requirements from the initial consulting phrase of the investigation to guarantee the best results. Although the review stage is often disregarded due to the unavailability of time and cost for billable work, it can help to improve the quality of the investigation and reduce the overall expenses. A review of the investigation can be timely and can begin at any time during the investigation. It can include a summary of the successes and the failures that occurred throughout the investigation and how they can be beneficial to future investigations. View the video below for a visual description of what was discussed earlier: Bottom Line Although when compared to CSI Miami this might not be a great way to spend your Saturday night, a solid and impregnable Computer Forensics Miami process is essential to real life investigations. As electronic devices become an essential part of modern society, computer forensics is becoming even more significant to aid in the fight against crime. To properly assemble the puzzle pieces in computer forensics, it is imperative that investigators carefully follow the stages to authenticate, collect, guarantee data preservation and to successfully conduct forensic analysis and review.
