Digital Forensics and Information Security

Digital Forensics and Information Security

Definition of Computer Forensics

The analysis and collection of data from computer networks, systems, storage media and wireless communication streams in such a way that is allowed according to the laws is known as Computer Forensics. It is a combination of the disciplines of the law and computer science. The definition of computer forensics applies to the information collection in real time and assessment of dormant data (US-CERT, 2008).

Computer forensics plays a vital role in business operations. Specialists of computer forensics are called upon by businesses when such incident takes place in which computer crime expertise is essential. For instance, specialists of computer forensics might be called if a company's employee is using computer of company for their personal reason at the time of the company. The employee may be using the websites in order to access adult content, engaging in peer to peer file transfer, searching through auction sites, swapping movies and music using company's bandwidth or executing other activities (Forensic Control Limited, 2013).

There are many areas of dispute and crime in which computer forensics can never be applied. Agencies of law enforcement have been amongst the heaviest and earliest users of computer forensics and as a result it has been at the front of developments (Forensic Control Limited, 2013). Computers may be comprises of a scene of a crime, for instance with denial service attacks or hacking or they might grasp evidence in the shape of internet history, documents, emails nor other files that are relevant to crimes such as kidnap, drug trafficking, murder and fraud. Examination of computer forensic reveals the time when the document appeared first time on the computer, when it was printed or saved last time, which user performed these actions and when it was edited last time (Forensic Control Limited, 2013). In today's world, computer forensics are being used by commercial organizations in order to benefit their business in many cases such as industrial espionage, Intellectual Property theft, employment disputes, forgeries, fraud investigations, matrimonial issues, inappropriate internet and email use in the workplace, bankruptcy investigations and regulatory compliance (Forensic Control Limited, 2013).

Computer forensics help in ensuring the entire survivability and integrity of business's network infrastructure. Organizations can take advantage from computer forensics as it is an efficient approach to computer and network security. For example, understanding technical and legal aspects of computer forensics will assist in capturing necessary and important information if the network is compromised. Computer forensics help in prosecuting the case if the burglar is captured (US-CERT, 2008). In ignoring computer forensics, organization might run afoul of new laws that assign liability and mandate regulatory compliance if specific type of data is not protected adequately. Current laws has made possible that organizations will be liable in criminal or civil court if they fail to provide protection to the data of customer (US-CERT, 2008). Computer forensics can also assist in saving the money of the organization. Several managers are allotting a large portion of ...