Exterro's Top Digital Forensics Resources of 2023
December 27, 2023
As the year comes to a close, we like to review some of our top educational resources from the past year here at Exterro. Today we're publishing our second list of resources, this time focusing on digital forensics and incident response (DFIR).
2023 witnessed the continuation of trends that are combining to increase business adoption of DFIR capabilities. Cyberthreats, from insiders to ransomware gangs, are proliferating, both domestically and internationally. The federal government has issued a mandate for all agencies and contractors to adopt zero trust architecture. The use cases for investigative capabilities continues to grow as more and more organizations recognize their need for HR, employee wrongdoing, civil litigation, compliance, and cyber-incident investigations.
On the law enforcement side, critical challenges to forensic workflows persist. Digital devices containing evidence related to crimes--and the need for digital forensic investigators--continues to increase. Criminals have turned to the dark web to traffic guns, drugs, and sadly, people, making traditional investigations more difficult. But thankfully, new technology has arrived to help law enforcement investigators secure justice for victims more efficiently as well.
What are the topics and resources that had the biggest impact on our audience in 2023? Read on to find out.
The Basics of Digital Forensics
For many people, the introduction to the world of digital forensics might come through popular culture. For decades, movies, television, and even video games have delved into the world of hackers exploiting computer systems and the crime-solving computer sleuths working to stop them. But of course that’s not really a realistic depiction of the world of digital forensics.
Exterro’s Basics of Digital Forensics serves as a brief introduction to the field. Compiled from five recent whitepapers, it explores the why, how, and what of digital forensic investigations, conducted both by law enforcement and private sector investigators. Whether you're starting fresh or need a refresher, this resource has something for you!
Download the Basics of Digital Forensics.
Investigating Illegal Activity on the Dark Web
While the Internet is a gargantuan repository of information (in fact, there are some 1.7 billion websites currently available), this is actually an exceedingly small percentage of the information that can be accessed online. While it has received growing attention, many are still unaware of the vast amount of information--and opportunities for illegal activity--afforded by what is known as the Dark Web. Digital forensic investigators need to understand what the Dark Web is, how it works, and how to investigate crimes, such as illegal drug sales, that happen on the Dark Web. Download this whitepaper to learn the basics of conducting dark web investigations.
Get ready to investigate dark web crimes.
Conducting Remote Digital Forensic Investigations
Despite well-publicized demands from CEOs and other executives, the modern workforce will almost certainly never be fully onsite again. And even when workers are onsite, network infrastructure has changed from the days when a hardened perimeter was enough to secure organizational assets. That means organizations must account for cybersecurity risks both inside and outside their network perimeters–and be able to investigate and remediate them immediately, wherever they occur. This Exterro Quick Guide helps you understand what types of incidents you might need to investigate, what technology you need to do so, and how experts would tackle the job.