Computer forensics is a part of digital forensics that deals with crimes committed across
computing devices such as networks, computers, and digital storage media. It refers to a set of
methodological procedures and techniques to identify, gather, preserve, extract, interpret,
document, and present evidence from computing equipment such that the discovered evidence
is acceptable during a legal and/or administrative proceeding in a court of law.
In summary, computer forensics deals with the process of finding admissible evidence related to
a digital crime to find the perpetrators and initiate legal action against them.
Objectives of Computer Forensics
It is essential to use computer forensics for the following:
- Identify, gather, and preserve the evidence of a cybercrime.
- Identify and gather evidence of cybercrimes in a forensically sound manner
- Track and prosecute the perpetrators in a court of law
- Interpret, document, and present the evidence such that it is admissible during
prosecution - Estimate the potential impact of malicious activity on the victim and assess the intent of
the perpetrator - Find vulnerabilities and security loopholes that help attackers
- Understand the techniques and methods used by attackers to avert prosecution and
overcome them - Recover deleted files, hidden files, and temporary data that can be used as evidence
- Perform incident response (IR) to prevent further loss of intellectual property, finances,
and reputation during an attack - Know the laws of various regions and areas, as digital crimes are widespread and remote
- Know the process of handling multiple platforms, data types, and operating systems
- Learn to identify and use the appropriate tools for forensic investigations
- Prepare for incidents in advance to ensure the integrity and continuity of network
infrastructure - Offer ample protection to data resources and ensure regulatory compliance
- Protect the organization from similar incidents in the future
- Help counteract online crimes such as abuse, bullying, and reputation damage
- Minimize the tangible and intangible losses to an organization or an individual
- Support the prosecution of the perpetrator of a cybercrime
Need for Cyber Forensics
An exponential increase in the number of cybercrimes and civil litigations involving large
organizations has emphasized the need for computer forensics. It has become a necessity for
organizations to employ the service of a computer forensics agency or to hire a computer
forensics expert to solve cases involving the use of computers and related technologies. The
staggering financial losses caused by cybercrimes have also contributed to renewed interest in
computer forensics.
Computer forensics plays an important role in tracking cybercriminals. The main role of computer
forensics is as follows:
- Ensure the overall integrity and the continued existence of an organization’s computer
system and network infrastructure - Help the organization capture important information if their computer systems or
networks are compromised. Forensic evidence also helps prosecute the perpetrator of a
cybercrime, if caught. - Extract, process, and interpret the actual evidence so that it proves the attacker’s actions
and their guilt or innocence in court - Efficiently track down perpetrators/terrorists from different parts of the world. Terrorists
who use the Internet as a communication medium can be tracked down, and their plans
can be discovered. IP addresses are vital to finding the geographical location of the
terrorists. - Save the organization’s money and valuable time. Many managers allocate a large portion
of their IT budget for computer and network security. - Track complex cases such as ransomware attacks, email spamming, etc.
When Do You Use Computer Forensics?
Computer forensics is required when a computer-based crime occurs, and as mentioned earlier,
such crimes are increasing worldwide. Organizations need to employ the services of a computer
forensics agency or hire a computer forensics expert to solve crimes that involve computers and
related technologies. The staggering financial losses caused by cybercrimes have also contributed
to a renewed interest in computer forensics.
Computer forensics can be helpful against all types of security and criminal incidents that involve
computer systems and related technologies. Most organizations seek the help of computer
forensics for the following:
- Prepare for incidents by securing and strengthening the defense mechanism as well as
closing the loopholes in security - Gaining knowledge of the regulations related to cyber laws and comply with them
- Report incidents involving a breach of cybersecurity
- Identify the actions needed for incident response
- Act against copyright and intellectual property theft/misuse
- Settle disputes among employees or between the employer and employees
- Estimate and minimize the damage to resources in a corporate setup
- Set a security parameter and formulate security norms for ensuring forensic readiness