Course Details

Digital Forensics and Evidence Handling Training Course

INTRODUCTION

This essential training course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for mastering Digital Forensics and Evidence Handling. In an age where almost every crime or security incident leaves a digital trace, the ability to properly identify, collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence is paramount for investigations, litigation, and incident response. Digital Forensics and Evidence Handling Training Course equips participants with a systematic understanding of forensic principles, the chain of custody, various acquisition techniques for different digital devices, and methods for analyzing digital artifacts. Participants will gain deep insights into recovering deleted data, tracing cybercrime activities, preparing legally admissible evidence, and adhering to ethical guidelines, all crucial for ensuring the integrity and admissibility of digital evidence in any investigative context.

This course is designed for aspiring digital forensic investigators, law enforcement professionals, incident responders, legal professionals, and IT security analysts who need to understand the intricacies of digital evidence. It bridges the gap between raw data and actionable intelligence, empowering participants to conduct thorough digital investigations, maintain the integrity of evidence, and effectively contribute to solving complex cybercrimes and security incidents.

DURATION

10 days

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is specifically designed for professionals who are involved in or may be called upon to conduct digital investigations or handle digital evidence, including:

• Aspiring Digital Forensic Investigators.
• Law Enforcement Officers.
• Incident Response Team Members.
• Cybersecurity Analysts.
• Legal Professionals (e.g., paralegals, litigators).

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the principles and methodologies of digital forensics.
• Master the proper procedures for digital evidence acquisition and preservation.
• Maintain an unbroken chain of custody for digital evidence.
• Utilize tools and techniques for analyzing various digital artifacts.
• Prepare legally admissible reports and expert testimony based on digital evidence.

MODULES

Module 1: Introduction to Digital Forensics and Legal Principles

• Define Digital Forensics and its role in investigations and security incidents.
• Understand the Daubert and Frye standards for admissibility of scientific evidence.
• Discuss the importance of forensic soundness and avoiding contamination of evidence.
• Explore legal and ethical considerations in digital investigations (e.g., privacy, search warrants).
• Examine the Digital Forensics Research Model (DFRM) and other methodologies.

Module 2: Digital Evidence and the Chain of Custody

• Define Digital Evidence and its characteristics (e.g., volatility, fragility).
• Understand the concept and critical importance of the Chain of Custody.
• Discuss procedures for documenting evidence collection, handling, and storage.
• Explore the use of evidence bags, labels, and tracking logs.
• Examine the impact of a broken chain of custody on evidence admissibility.

Module 3: Forensic Acquisition of Digital Data

• Understand different types of digital data acquisition (e.g., physical, logical, live).
• Discuss techniques for forensically acquiring hard drives and solid-state drives (e.g., imaging, cloning).
• Explore the use of write blockers to ensure data integrity during acquisition.
• Examine the challenges of acquiring data from mobile devices and cloud environments.
• Learn about verifying data integrity using hashing (MD5, SHA1, SHA256).

Module 4: File Systems and Data Recovery

• Understand the basics of common file systems (e.g., FAT, NTFS, Ext4, APFS).
• Discuss how data is stored, allocated, and deleted within file systems.
• Explore techniques for recovering deleted files and partitions (e.g., carving, signature analysis).
• Examine the impact of file system journaling and anti-forensics techniques.
• Learn about recovering data from damaged or corrupted storage media.

Module 5: Forensic Analysis of Operating Systems and Applications

• Understand how to analyze Windows, macOS, and Linux operating system artifacts.
• Discuss the analysis of registry hives, event logs, and system configuration files.
• Explore the examination of web browser history, cookies, and downloads.
• Examine the analysis of email artifacts and communication logs.
• Learn about recovering and analyzing data from application-specific files.

Module 6: Network Forensics and Log Analysis

• Understand the principles of Network Forensics.
• Discuss the analysis of network traffic captures (packet analysis) for suspicious activity.
• Explore the examination of router, firewall, and server logs.
• Examine techniques for identifying malicious network connections, unauthorized access, and data exfiltration.
• Learn about reconstructing network events from disparate log sources.

Module 7: Mobile Device Forensics

• Understand the unique challenges and considerations in mobile device forensics.
• Discuss methods for acquiring data from mobile devices (e.g., logical, file system, physical).
• Explore the analysis of SMS, call logs, contacts, and application data from mobile devices.
• Examine techniques for bypassing device locks and encryption (where legally permissible).
• Learn about tools and techniques specific to iOS and Android forensics.

Module 8: Reporting, Expert Testimony, and Tools

• Understand the importance of clear, concise, and defensible forensic reports.
• Discuss the structure and content of a digital forensic report.
• Explore the principles of expert witness testimony in a courtroom setting.
• Examine common digital forensic tools (e.g., EnCase, FTK, Autopsy, Sleuth Kit).
• Learn about the ethical responsibilities of a digital forensic examiner.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

• Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com