Data acquisition in cyber forensics refers to the process of collecting, preserving, and securing digital information from various sources like computers, storage devices, or networks. It involves gathering evidence in a way that maintains its integrity for analysis in legal or investigative proceedings.
WHAT IS DATA ACQUISITION
The gathering and recovery of sensitive data during a digital forensic investigation is known as data acquisition.Cybercrimes often involve the hacking or corruption of data. Digital forensic analysts need to know how to access, recover, and restore that data as well as how to protect it for future management.This involves producing a forensic image from digital devices and other computer technologies.
TYPES OF DATA SOURCES
In cyber forensic investigations, digital evidence can be sourced from various types of devices and platforms. These sources can be broadly categorized into three main types
1. Primary Sources
- Primary sources are the devices that are directly involved in the incident or contain the original data.
- Examples:
Computers (desktops, laptops),Servers (file servers, web servers, email servers),Mobile devices (smartphones, tablets)
- These devices typically store a wide range of data, including files, system logs, internet history, emails, and application data.
2. Secondary Sources
- Secondary sources are additional devices or platforms that may indirectly contain relevant digital evidence related to the incident.
- Examples:
Cloud storage services (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud), Network logs (firewall logs, DHCP logs, DNS logs), IoT (Internet of Things) devices (smart home devices, wearables)
- Secondary sources often provide contextual information, communication logs, or metadata that complement primary sources.
3. Tertiary Sources
- Tertiary sources include external sources beyond the immediate control of the investigator, yet they may contain pertinent data.
- Examples:
Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), External databases (public records, online forums)
DATA ACQUISITION METHODS
There are several methods used to acquire this data, each with its own advantages and considerations:
1.Live Acquisition:
-Live acquisition involves extracting data from actively running systems without altering their state.
-This method allows investigators to collect volatile data, such as running processes, open network connections, and system configurations.
-Examples of live acquisition tools include FTK Imager, EnCase, and Volatility.
2.Dead Acquisition:
-Dead acquisition, also known as offline acquisition, involves collecting data from non-operational or powered-off devices.
-It ensures that the integrity of the evidence remains intact by preventing any changes to the data during acquisition.
-Dead acquisition is often performed using forensic imaging tools like dd (Unix/Linux), FTK Imager, or X-Ways Forensics.
3.Remote Acquisition:
-Remote acquisition involves gathering data over a network connection without physical access to the device.
-It allows investigators to collect data from remote or cloud-based systems, minimizing the need for on-site intervention.
- Examples include remote forensic tools like F-Response and network packet capture tools like Wireshark.
4.Memory Forensics:
- Memory forensics involves acquiring and analyzing volatile memory (RAM) from live systems.
-It allows investigators to uncover valuable information such as running processes, open network connections, and encryption keys.
-Memory forensics tools, such as Volatility, Rekall, and Redline, are used to capture and analyze memory snapshots.
5. Hybrid Acquisition:
-Hybrid acquisition combines multiple acquisition methods to gather comprehensive evidence from different sources.
-For example, a hybrid approach may involve live acquisition of volatile data alongside dead acquisition of disk images for thorough analysis.
TOOLS & TECHNIQUE
1. Forensic Imaging Tools:
- Functionality: Forensic imaging tools create exact replicas of storage devices, preserving all data, metadata, and even unallocated space. These tools ensure data integrity and provide a pristine copy for analysis without altering the original evidence.
- Tool:
EnCase Forensic: Widely used for creating forensic images, EnCase supports various file systems and provides advanced analysis capabilities.
FTK Imager: Allows for creating forensic images, viewing file systems, and extracting specific files or folders from storage devices.
2. Write-Blocking Hardware:
-Functionality: Write-blocking hardware prevents write access to storage devices during data acquisition, ensuring that the original data remains unchanged. It maintains evidence integrity and prevents accidental alterations or contamination of evidence.
- Write Blockade: It acts as a filter, intercepting and blocking any write commands sent from the computer to the storage device. This prevents accidental or intentional modifications, preserving the original data in its pristine state.
-Read-Only Access: While writes are blocked, the hardware allows full read-only access, enabling the complete and accurate copying of data for forensic analysis.
Tools:
Tableau Write Blockers: Hardware devices supporting various storage interfaces (e.g., SATA, USB) and offering read-only access during forensic imaging.
WiebeTech Forensic ComboDock: Allows connection and acquisition of data from different storage devices while ensuring write protection with hardware switches.
3. Memory Forensics Tools:
- Functionality: Memory forensics tools analyze the contents of volatile memory (RAM) to extract valuable information such as running processes, network connections, and encryption keys. They help uncover evidence that may not be present on disk, including malware and active threats.
Tools:
Volatility: An open-source framework for memory forensics supporting multiple operating systems and providing features for process analysis, network connection extraction, and malware detection.
Rekall (formerly Memory Forensic Toolkit - MFTK): Offers a user-friendly interface for analyzing memory dumps from various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS
