Computer Forensic Investigations: Tools and Techniques
Forensic specialists investigating computer crimes require a set of dedicated tools as well as the use of very specific techniques. Depending on the type of computer device and the kind of digital evidence, investigators may choose one tool or another.
A common misconception in the use of computer forensic tools is the belief these tools are only used to solve cyber-crime. While cyber-crime is quickly reaching levels unimaginable just a decade ago, computer forensics is not limited to this kind of crime. In fact, only a small proportion of cases solved by computer forensic specialists is related to cyber-crime.
Tools for Forensic Investigations
As mentioned in our recent publication, Retrieving Digital Evidence: Methods, Techniques and Issues, up to 93% of all information never leaves the digital domain. This means that the majority of information is both created and consumed in digital form. Digital pictures, electronic communication, online chats and instant messaging are unimaginable without a computer.
For specialists performing forensic investigations, this means more and more evidence becomes available in the digital form. In fact, many types of evidence are only available in digital. Retrieving digital evidence in course of forensic investigations requires the use of special tools.
Belkasoft Evidence Center: a Forensic Tool for Retrieving Digital Evidence
Belkasoft offers a forensic investigation tool for retrieving many types of digital evidence. Belkasoft Evidence Center can help a forensic investigator to reconstruct suspect’s activities on their PC in a forensically sound way.
Extracting Digital Evidence with a Digital Forensic Toolkit
Belkasoft Evidence Center can help performing forensic investigations by extracting the following types of digital evidence:
- Extract all major office document types (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, PDF, RTF)
- Extract log files for major 70+ instant messengers (Windows, MacOS and Linux)
- Extract Web histories, analyze cookies, favorites of all major Web browsers
- Extract email messages, attachments, address books of All popular email clients
- Analyze activities in social networks and peer-to-peer (P2P) software
- Extract communications occurring in multi-player games
- Detect pornography, faces and embedded text in still images and video files
- Discover mobile device backups (iPhone, iPad and Blackberry)
Forensically Sound Toolkit
Ensuring forensically sound operation is an essential goal of every computer forensic investigation tool. Belkasoft Evidence Center is able to display the exact physical location on the disk where the extracted information is stored. The investigator can then confirm the results by capturing the images using a low-level hex editor.
You're welcome to try Belkasoft Evidence Center by requesting a free download.
