Understanding Digital Forensics: What Does a Digital Forensics Analyst Do?
One of the most common remarks I hear from clients and their attorneys is, “I’m not very computer savvy.” At the beginning of almost every court testimony, I am asked to explain what a Digital Forensics Analyst does. So, to save myself from repeating the same speech over and over, here’s a handy guide to answer the age-old question: “What is Digital Forensics?”
What is Digital Forensics?
Think of Digital Forensics as high-tech detective work. It’s the branch of forensic science dedicated to finding, copying, analyzing, and explaining data from electronic devices—and doing it all in a way that won’t get us laughed out of court. While “Computer Forensics” used to be the go-to term, “Digital Forensics” is now the fancy catch-all phrase that covers everything from smartphones and tablets to USB drives and that mysterious cloud everyone keeps talking about.
Let’s break down the process into five easy (ish) steps: identification, acquisition, processing, analysis, and reporting.
Identification Phase
This is the roll call. We document the make, model, serial number, and condition of each device—basically, we note down everything short of its astrological sign. We also take photos, because nothing says “I did my job” like a well-lit glamour shot of a hard drive. The goal? Ensure we’re working on the right device and not, say, your kid’s Nintendo Switch.
Acquisition Phase
This is where we make a digital twin of the data. We don’t mess with the original because we like to keep things pristine. Typically, we create two copies:
- Master Copy: Locked away like it’s the last slice of pizza at a party.
- Working Copy: Our playground for poking around without fear of messing things up.
We also use write-blockers, which are fancy gadgets that make sure we only read the data and don’t accidentally add our favorite dog memes to your evidence. We then run some math magic (using algorithms like MD5, SHA1, and SHA256) to ensure our copy is a perfect clone—no evil twins allowed.
Processing Phase
Now it’s time to unleash the forensic software, which sorts everything into neat categories like pictures, videos, emails, and those texts you probably regret sending. We also dive into metadata, which is basically data about data—things like when a file was created, modified, and, in some cases, where you were when you snapped that questionable selfie.
Processing also includes building an index of all the words in the data, so we can search for key terms like “secret formula” or “totally not suspicious.” This helps us focus on the juicy bits and ignore the digital junk drawer.
Analysis Phase
This is where we put on our digital detective hats and figure out who did what, when, where, and why. This phase separates the tech nerds from the true forensic sleuths.
Example 1: I once tracked USB connection history and recently opened files to catch a former employee red-handed. They had copied company files onto a USB drive and conveniently “forgot” to return it. Oops.
Example 2: In another case, a doctor was accused of handing out unnecessary prescriptions. The government said, “No patient records? No exam!” But after analyzing the doctor’s ransomware-encrypted computer, I found traces of patient files. Turns out, his files had been kidnapped by hackers—proving that sometimes, the dog really does eat your homework. The charges? Dropped like a hot potato.
Reporting Phase
Ah, the grand finale. This is where we translate all our tech babble into plain English for people who think “RAM” is just what goats do. We provide written reports and sometimes testify in court—which means explaining complex tech in a way that doesn’t make the jury want to nap.
When I worked for the Bureau, I tested my explanations on a supervisor who was about as tech-savvy as a rock. If he stayed awake and understood me, I knew I was on track. If his eyes glazed over, I knew I had to try again. He started calling himself the “70-year-old outdated man on the jury,” which, frankly, is a demographic I aim to please.
Conclusion
Digital Forensics is part science, part art, and 100% about finding the truth hidden in your gadgets. Hopefully, this post has demystified what we do (and how we do it) while giving you a glimpse into the world of digital sleuthing.
If you enjoyed this post, stick around—there’s plenty more where this came from!
