What Is Endpoint Collection?

In digital forensics, an endpoint collection refers to the process of gathering and preserving digital evidence from an individual computing device, often referred to as an "endpoint." Endpoints can include computers, laptops, servers, mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets), IoT-connected devices, and other assets capable of storing digital information. Endpoint collection is a crucial step in digital forensic investigations and is typically performed to recover, preserve, and analyze data that may be relevant to a criminal or investigative case.

Why Is Endpoint Collection Critical for Corporate Digital Forensics Teams?

Whether you’re investigating a data breach, employee misconduct, or a potential IT policy violation, the ability to collect from every endpoint is key. You need to covertly access multiple operating systems and encrypted endpoints without alerting employees or disrupting business operations.  

With unprecedented growth in enterprise BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, remote workers, hybrid environments, and more network-connected devices, the ability to quickly and covertly collect from macOS devices is more important than ever before.  

How Can Corporate DFIR Teams Prepare for Remote Investigations?

Organizations without remote Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) solutions (or SIEM/SOAR solutions) should adopt them soon, acknowledging that remote and hybrid workplaces are here to stay. But adopting the right DFIR solution isn't as simple as just selecting a program off the shelf; organizations must carefully consider what capabilities they need.

Three core capabilities that any enterprise should want in their solution include:

• Scalable, Remote Agent-Based Endpoint Collection: DFIR teams need to be able to collect at a moment's notice from a wide range of device types (PCs and Macs, cloud shares, network shares, and smartphones) whether or not they're connected to the corporate network via a VPN.  
• Incident Response and Remediation: They need to be able to scan for indicators of compromise (IOCs), review programs and files accessed or executed, collect data, delete compromised files, kill ongoing malicious processes, or remove offending applications.
• Workflow Automation and Orchestration: You don't know when an incident might occur, but chances are good it won't be during the standard 9-to-5 working hours. A DFIR solution should integrate seamlessly with SIEM and SOAR solutions so that it automatically preserves evidence on endpoints immediately upon detection of an intrusion.

The 7-Step Process for Defensible Endpoint Collection

For the purposes of this article, we won't get too in-depth on "Step Zero," which involves installing persistent remote agents on all potentially relevant organizational endpoints. With more and more organizations moving to a Zero Trust Architecture—which requires enterprises to detect and remediate cybersecurity incidents at every endpoint—this is an increasingly common capability, one that FTK Enterprise brings to the table for our customers.

1. Identification: Identifying the target endpoint(s) that may contain relevant evidence. This may be based on initial security alerts or intelligence gathered during the opening stages of the investigation.
2. Preservation: Ensuring that the data on the endpoint remains intact and unaltered during the collection process. This often involves creating a forensically sound copy of the data, known as a forensic image, to prevent any changes or tampering with the original evidence.
3. Collection: Extracting data from the endpoint using forensically sound methods and tools. This can include copying targeted files, extracting metadata, recovering deleted data, and capturing active system logs.
4. Documentation: Thoroughly documenting the collection process, including the exact date and time of the collection, the specific hardware and software used, and the scope of data collected. This documentation is essential for proving compliance.
5. Chain of Custody: Maintaining a clear and unbroken chain of custody for the collected evidence to establish its reliability and authenticity in a court of law.
6. Analysis: After collection, digital forensic experts analyze the collected data to identify and interpret any evidence that may be relevant to the investigation. This can involve examining nested files, emails, internet history, registries, and unallocated space.  
7. Reporting: Creating a comprehensive report summarizing the findings of the analysis and presenting the evidence in a manner that can be easily understood by non-technical stakeholders, such as corporate investigators, human resources, attorneys, or the court.

Other Benefits of Endpoint Collection Technology

Being able to isolate or remediate cybersecurity issues on any corporate device at a moment's notice is a fundamental requirement of Zero Trust Architecture, but it is also just good common sense. Accidental loss of data, exposure to malware, or misuse of corporate resources can happen on almost any device.

Without a remote agent installed, the possibility of an incident going completely undetected is far greater. That translates directly into increased risk of a prolonged breach and ballooning recovery costs if an incident happens.

Make sure you're prepared for remote endpoint collection today with FTK Enterprise, part of the new FTK 8.0 suite of products.

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