Blog by Amber Schroader & Guests
Forensic-Impact
2023 Review 2024 Predictions
Transcript Welcome to the first blog post of 2024 of Forensic impact. I'm Amber Schroader. I'm the one who maintains this blog. It's one of those that I have gone up and down about getting stuff written because there's always piles of research that you can see...
Starting a Business with Little-to-No Startup Capital: Key Strategies for Success
The entrepreneurial journey is filled with challenges, and one of the biggest hurdles can be financial constraints. Many would-be business owners believe they need a hefty sum to launch a venture, but the truth is, you can start small and still go big. The key lies in...
iOS 17 Forensic Impacts
We are in the time of year when our pumpkin spice cravings start crawling to the surface and we see some big releases in the world of mobile firmware. It is a good time to validate and check your tools to see what data you gained and lost with the firmware change....
How Leadership Can Impact Cybersecurity
Written by: Riley Anne JohnsCybersecurity is a major priority nowadays for business leaders, as no organization is immune to cyber threats. For example, according to Forbes, cyberattackers made roughly $456.8 million in ransomware profits in 2022 alone, as most...
Different Android Flavors and Forensic Processing
Android, developed by Google, is one of the most popular mobile operating systems worldwide, powering millions of devices. What you might not realize is that there are different tiers of Android OS that are available for millions of devices. We will explore the three...
Small Businesses: Don’t Make These 7 Common Cybersecurity Mistakes
Guest Blog Post: Lance Cody-ValdezHackers are going after SMBs with a vengeance – 43 percent of all cyberattacks are directed toward these smaller companies, according to a Hacked report. SMBs make for “soft” targets, as many don’t have basic cybersecurity safeguards...
Why is Triage a good step in Digital Forensics?
Many people discount the value of triage. Investigators try to obtain all the data at once, which can be costly and unproductive. With the data gap gone between mobile and computer-related data, you can analyze terabytes now without breaking a sweat. Triage and...
Fall is full of new data in iOS 16 messages
With each fall we see changes in the smartphone world with new firmware updates that bring extra spice to the pumpkin spice season. This year was not an exception with iOS 16 showing lots of new data that will add to our digital investigations. iOS 16 held a lot of...
Investigating Current and Future Vulnerabilities of Electric Vehicle Charging Networks
Blog by: Cameron Cisneros, Zachary Wilson, Karla Soler and Ian Yates Research by: Felix Murray, Cameron Cisneros, Zachary Wilson, Karla Soler, Ian Yates, Unny Menon, Richard D’souza Sponsored by: When we began our research into vulnerabilities of electrical vehicle...
23 Years of Innovations from Small Business
Starting 24 years of being a small business in the digital forensic investigations space is a rare activity. With many transitions happening with the different technology providers being sold, going public, or just disappearing it is rare to experience this many years...
Cornerstones of a good digital forensics’ lab
Guest Blogger Hilary Rodela, Lead Digital Content Writer for Taction USA Collecting and extracting evidence is half the battle when it comes to seizing evidence and processing a crime scene. When you don’t have the right supplies or resources it can impede your...
Five Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Small Businesses
Whether you plan to launch your first company soon or you are a well-established business owner, cybersecurity should mean a great deal to you. Criminals love to target small companies because they are less likely to have stringent security systems and protocols in...
How to get started in the field of digital forensics
When you think of different career paths in the field of cyber you might not always notice the field of digital forensics. However, if you have a passion for all things digital and keen attention to detail this field could be the perfect place for you where a job is...
Expectations of Facebook Data
As social media continues to rise so does the power of Facebook. If you are not on it personally you are for your business or to connect with people on a hobby. That being part of the Meta universe has become as essential as getting a driver’s license. So, what does...
EMI Shielding & Why You Need It
The topic of Physics may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of digital forensics, but it does play a key role in the preservation of your digital evidence. Not every organization is lucky enough to have their lab so isolated that they get no...
Due Diligence of Tool Selection
In the season of shopping, many of you might be considering shopping for new tools for your labs. I stepped back to put this together because as I shop for tools for our lab, I don’t judge on the same standard that I do as a tool producer. I, however, always do my due...
Investigating and Capturing Google Data
There are so few people on the planet now that don’t have something to do with Google. With parents selecting Gmail accounts for their kids prior to being born to the proliferation of Google in the classroom the searching giant is everywhere. With this level of...
What is Android ADB with smartphone forensics?
There is a lot of trust put into your digital forensic tools when it comes to processing data. Many times, the “magic” of the tool remains someone unknown to the end-user. Each company claims to have a special means to capture the data that is seen in the acquisition....
Forensically Imaging Bitlocker
Guest Blogger, Michael Zinn with Micro Systems Management BitLocker is Microsoft’s Full Volume Encryption (FVE) feature in Windows. BitLocker can be used to encrypt operating system volumes, non-Operating System fixed drive volumes, and removable drive volumes.[1]...
The Role of Psychology in Digital Forensics
Written by Riley Anne JohnsAs more people depend on technology for both personal and professional endeavors, digital forensics has never been more important. Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science specifically focused on cybercrime, using computer evidence...
Waze Data in Smartphones
According to Wikipedia Waze is: Waze is a GPS navigation software app and a subsidiary of Google. It works on smartphones and tablet computers that have GPS support. It provides turn-by-turn navigation information and user-submitted travel times and route details...
iOS Backup vs iCloud How can you compare?
When you process an iOS device there are multiple locations that will provide you the data you are looking for. It is important to understand where you can see the differences in those data sources. Depending on your process checklist you might choose a different data...
TikTok Smartphone Evidence
We have been using the windows of our smartphones for many years to explore the world of social media. One of the most popular areas for exploration over the last few years has been in the newer social media platform of TikTok. TikTok currently has over 2 billion...
What Parents Need to Know About Roblox
Shared from a post written by Nicole Gray of Infinity Investigative SolutionsIt’s the number one online entertainment platform for youth under the age of 13, and number two for teens 13-17 so chances are your child and their friends are already on it. Roblox is an...
The GDPR & The CCPA a Quick Look with a Forensic Twist
With the recent passages of these two key pieces of legislation, many people use the terms of the CCPA and the GDPR together, as if they literally mean the same thing. However, while the two have been crafted and designed to protect Personal Identifiable Information...
Data Security Issues With The Remote Workforce
The concept of the Remote Workforce has now become a reality for the long term, going well into 2021, and possibly even beyond. While most Cyber experts were predicting that a near 99% Virtual Workforce was possible in 4-5 years, it came to fruition in just a matter...
Securing Smartphones a Digital Forensic Perspective
When you look at the best means to secure your smartphone there are a few key areas to look at. Hardware System Apps Each of these areas can be applied to both iOS (Apple) and Android. When selecting a device, they can be used to determine if you have the best fit or...
Interview by Safety Detectives
Step into the thoughts of Paraben's CEO and Founder Amber Schroader. Forensic-Impact Articles
Discord Investigations
Learn what to do to capture data from Discord
Setting up a Digital Forensic Lab Part 2
Now that you have your mind around what it takes to set up the equipment of the lab it is time to start looking at staffing the lab and the management of the flow of the lab. This can be the hardest part because you are dealing with people and what they need on top of...
Setting Up a Digital Forensic Lab Part 1
For those of you that have had a lab for a while or are just getting started these are some great guidelines to streamline and maximize your time in the lab. From procedure steps to the machine options there are always choices that a lot of times will depend on how...
Jailbreaking iOS Smartphones in 2020
Since October 2007, the process of Jailbreaking has been out in the universe, allowing for deeper access to the mysterious Apple file system. In the beginning, this technique was frowned on in the digital forensics field because of the potential risk to the device...
AirWatch MDM and E3 Forensic Platform iOS Acquisitions
When dealing with mobile devices and digital forensics one of the most frustrating barriers is a mobile device management (MDM). An MDM allows IT administrators to configure managed mobile devices, install or remove profiles, remove passcodes, and begin a secure erase...
5G & Digital Forensic Impact
5G is the next generation of high-speed wireless internet and it promises to be a game-changer for connectivity speeds. It will bring faster speeds and lower latency which will enable a wide range of new applications for business and consumers. 5G is designed to...
Inside lab vs Outside lab
Many organizations try to balance the value of having an in-house team for digital forensics vs. outsourcing the services. To break it down, we are going to look at it from the perspective of the public sector vs. the private sector.The public sector in the U.S....
Basics of Digital Forensics
Your cell phone, laptop, desktop, and every smart device you own hosts a powerhouse of data that can be subject to analysis. When it comes to investigations of crimes, forensic tools make it possible for investigators to retrieve this valuable data from the devices of...
2020 DFIR Predictions & Innovations
In September of 2019, Paraben celebrated its 20th Anniversary, and as such, we are taking the next twelve months to focus on all things that have made Paraben great. With innovation being our first focus, we thought it was a great opportunity to highlight some of the...
Mobile Forensic Imaging through the years
In 2002 when I did my first interview on mobile forensics, I never could have imagined the field would explode as it has done. I was an innovator, thinking that these small palm devices—Palm PDA at the time, would be the hub of our digital fingerprints. The snippet...
App Review of Calculator Photo Vault
Often in digital forensics, you end up with odd Apps that you need to review as part of your investigation that your tool does not support. In this quick review, we will look at the App Calculator Photo Vault and the data that can be found from unsupported Apps....
Court Approved Debate Is my tool valid?
Through the last thirty years of being in digital forensics, the question of what is court approved has come up many different times. This classification is greatly sought after and advertised by many companies that provide technology to the DFIR space. However,...
Mobile Forensics for Me but Not for Thee
Over approximately the last decade, the convergence of smartphone technology, corporate BYOD policies, and the preeminent role of ESI in civil litigation have elevated exponentially the significance of mobile devices as a source of evidence. However, this development...
Cyber-Forensics 2019 Predictions
As January 2019 comes to an end, it is helpful to look at some of the trends in forensics that will continue to mature as this year unfolds. Twenty nineteen, however, brings two primary areas to the front of discussion for many organizations: Cloud Forensics and...
Crash Scene Evidence from Smartphone
Many times, when we do digital forensics, we have a very difficult time finding a starting point for our investigation. It is just a mad dash for data and we are not always able to maintain perspective as we begin weeding through all the information. In a few of our...
What is a self-driving car (SDC)?
What is a self-driving car (SDC)?0 Comments A SDC is defined as an unmanned ground vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input. Other common terms are driverless car, autonomous car, and robotic car. In 2018, self-driving cars...
Extracting email from Zimbra
Extracting email from Zimbra0 Comments Extracting email from Zimbra is not all that challenging. These simple steps show you how. Zimbra is one of the most popular enterprise-class email, calendar, and collaboration solution. It is cloud-based but can also be treated...
Digital Forensics of HEIC files from iOS
Guest Blogger: Chief Todd A. Faulkner, Hinsdale Police Department High-Efficiency Image Compression (HEIC) is the new format that applies only to Apple devices that have the A9 processor or more modern. This includes iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPad Pro and 2017 iPad 9.7”....
Email as digital forensic evidence lives on!
Email is the lifeblood of any organization; as data is transmitted so is the ability to capture it as evidence. With any email processing, there are a simple few rules to follow that allow you to get the maximum amount of data. First, always keep the data in the...
Using Mobile Device Backdoors in Digital Forensics
Guest Blogger: Chief Todd A. Faulkner, Hinsdale Police Department One of the biggest barriers for every investigator is locked devices. We hear countless suggestions that are about tools, but what about adjustments in techniques for the seizure that can work with any...
Forensic Collection of Cloud Data
Some people are intimidated when they hear the words ‘cloud’ and ‘digital evidence,’ and immediately start to worry. There is not as much to worry about as one might believe when it comes to actually collect the data. The worry comes into play on the legal...
Mobile Devices: Digital Forensic Data Comparison
Mobile Device Digital Forensics is just coming out of its infancy. The data extracted from a mobile device can also be used to do audits of devices and security checks for vulnerabilities. Using the Mobile Evidence Comparer function in the E3 Platform is one of those...