5 Major Branches of Digital Forensics

Digital forensics is an important field of cybersecurity and law enforcement. Digital forensics provides the tools and methodologies which are required for cybercrimes investigations. I have already written a separate article to explain that what digital forensics is. Today I am going to discuss 5 major branches of digital forensics which are always considered to be integral part of any digital forensics facility. The branches of digital forensics are also evolving with every new evolution of the technology. Every branch of digital forensics focuses on a specific type of digital evidence. However, following are most important 5 major branches of digital forensics:-

Computer Forensics
Network Forensics
Mobile Device Forensics
Cloud Forensics
Database Forensics

Computer Forensics

Out of 5 major branches of digital forensics, computer forensics is basic type of digital forensics which means identification, preservation, extraction, and analysis of digital evidence extracted from computers and digital storage devices. Computer forensic investigator normally uses it for criminal investigations, corporate crimes, and incidents of data breaches.

Tasks in Computer Forensics

For a comprehensive computer forensics examination following is a list of tasks which should be performed by a forensics examiner before compiling his report:-

Creating a bit by bit clone of actual evidence
Analyzing all types of storage devices including hard drives, SSDs
Examining operating system logs and files
Recovering deleted files
Recovering hidden files
Identifying malwares
Identifying malicious software

Which Tools are used for Computer Forensics?

There are many tools available in market which are used to conduct computer forensics. However, following are considered to be most reliable and authenticated tools for computer forensics:-

2. Network Forensics

Among 5 major branches of digital forensics, network forensics is a fast easy process. It mainly focuses on monitoring and analyzing network traffic. Network forensics is used to detect and investigate security breaches, network attacks, and unauthorized accesses. Network forensics plays a pivotal role to identify the source and method used by cybercriminals for cyberattacks.

What are the Steps of Network Forensics?

Like computer forensics; network forensics also require specific steps for a fruitful and successful investigation, which are as under:-

Monitoring network traffic in real-time
Capturing network packet data
Analyzing packet data which is captured
Investigating intrusion detection system (IDS) alerts
Tracing the origin of cyberattacks

Which are Best Network Forensics Tools?

Wireshark (Free open source)
Snort (Free open source)
NetworkMiner (Open source)

3. Mobile Device Forensics

Out of 5 major branches of digital forensics, mobile device forensics is the one which focuses on extracting and analyzing data from mobile devices. While discussing a mobile device, we can take easy examples of smart phones and tablets. Since in this modern age of digital growth, mobile devices are being used for communication and social media presence. Most importantly due to online banking apps, the mobile devices have become prime targets of cybercriminals. Therefore this branch of digital forensics has also gained significant importance due to rapid growth and widespread of mobile devices.

What is Mobile Device Forensics?

Extracting data from SIM cards, SD cards, and internal storage of mobile device
Recovering deleted messages, call logs, and contacts
Analyzing app data and usage patterns
Examining GPS location data

What are Mobile Device Forensics Tools?

4. Cloud Forensics

Among 5 major branches of digital forensics cloud forensics is a challenging branch of digital forensics. Because it involves investigating digital evidence which is stored in cloud environments. Cloud forensics also involves acquiring, preserving, and analyzing data but; in this case it is from cloud service providers and not from local hard disk or SSD card. This is more challenging because the cloud service is a complex scheme. Cloud storage by its nature is stored as distributed cloud storage. Therefore a forensic examiner collets data in bits and pieces from distributed storage facilities and then connects it like a puzzle. Hence collection of data, analyzing it and examination of any data stored on a cloud is always a complex mechanism.

What is the Cloud Forensic Process?

Accessing data from cloud storage services
Investigating applications and services running on the cloud environment
Analyzing virtual machines connected to the cloud
Analyzing cloud instances created during the period being investigated

Which Tools Can be Used for Cloud Forensics?

5. Database Forensics

While discussing 5 major branches of digital forensics, database forensics mainly focuses on analysis of databases and their management systems. The main target of database forensics is to uncover evidence of unauthorized access to database. Some information of data access is also stored in the logs or backend of database. Therefore, database forensics is also used to investigate data breaches and tampering in existing data which is stored somewhere in database. This type of digital forensics is very essential for protecting sensitive information and ensuring integrity of sensitive data.

What is Database Forensics?

Examining database logs
Examining transaction records
Analyzing database schemas
Analyzing user activities
Recovering deleted data
Recovering corrupted data
Investigating SQL injection attacks

Which Tools are Useful for Database Forensics?

Conclusion

Digital forensics is a complicated field and to effectively combat cybercrime and to secure digital evidence it requires expertise in multiple areas. All 5 major branches of digital forensics play a crucial role in the overall investigation process. Each one has its importance in helping to uncover the truth and bringing the perpetrator to justice. The way the technology is continuing to advance, the importance of digital forensics in maintaining cybersecurity and upholding the law is growing alongside. Therefore it is an undoubtedly admitted fact that demand for digital forensics in future is ever growing. Moreover, these 5 major branches of digital forensics are not enough to suffice the whole digital world. Keeping in mind the latest threats of cybercrimes, there is a need of more specialized and specific branches of digital forensics to effectively investigate latest cybercrime techniques.