Understanding data acquisition 

So, let's recap—you have received training as a digital forensic investigator and you may have received certification. You have built or purchased a digital forensic workstation and a forensic laptop and have created your response kit. You have responded to the scene and ensured that it has been made secure. You have verified that no one has altered the scene and you have documented the scene with photographs. Now, it is time for you to process the scene and collect that digital evidence. We will now discuss the acquisition of data, otherwise known as evidence.

There are multiple scenarios where someone may call on you to acquire data for a digital forensic investigation. As a law enforcement officer, you may respond to the scene, identify potential sources of digital forensic evidence, and then seize those items. As a private sector or corporate investigator, you may be called on to take an employee's workstation or to...