Chapter 3: Acquisition of Evidence
Digital evidence is one of the most volatile pieces of evidence an investigator can handle, and the smallest error or mishandling on the investigator's part can severely impact the investigation. You may lose the data forever, or you might lose pieces of it. Unintentional manipulation of data can call your ability to investigate into question, as well as the integrity of the data in the investigation. This chapter will address how to minimize or eliminate any of these issues by using a tool validation process to create an error-free and validated forensic image.
We will cover the following topics in this chapter:
- Exploring evidence
- Understanding the forensic examination environment
- Tool validation
- Creating sterile media
- Defining forensic imaging