Effective note taking
Your ability to take notes will directly impact your ability to write an effective report on your digital forensic investigation. Your notes will be the foundation of your reporting. A simple phrase that has impacted me as I conduct my exams is if you do not write it down, it did not happen. One of your examinations may take days or months; you will simply not be able to remember what exactly you did on day 14 of your examination.
The fundamental elements of notetaking should include the following:
- When you did something
- What you did
- What you saw
- Why you did something
Your notetaking starts when you get the notification, and you have to respond to the scene. This includes the date/time when you are notified, who notified you, and when you arrived at the scene. Document any actions you take; if you collected volatile data, RAM from the system in question, did you alter the digital evidence? The answer will be yes. This...
