Chapter 4: Computer Systems
As we discussed in previous chapters, a digital forensic investigator must be able to control the environment in which they operate. The diversity of computer hardware, operating systems, and filesystems requires the digital forensic investigator to have a firm understanding of all the different and potential configurations they may encounter. This requires the digital forensic investigator to have procedures or controls in place to protect the integrity of the digital evidence and the processes used to examine it. If you do not understand the boot process and how the system reacts when it starts or which filesystem is in use on the storage devices, you could make a fatal mistake. You have to understand how they work together. Failure to understand these basic components could lead you to alter the digital evidence. You will also find that you will be less effective when you testify in judicial or administrative proceedings.
In this chapter, we will...
