Computer forensics is becoming a popular profession among law enforcement, government intelligence and corporate security professionals. As the profession demands extraordinary skills and an investigative instinct, basic training is necessary.
This high quality computer forensic training is available through renowned universities and colleges for which conditions apply with regard to personal history and citizenship.
The universities provide customized training designed to meet the specific needs of a law enforcement or intelligence agency. Expert faculty, who are retired personnel from major federal law enforcement agencies, trains professionals. They are internationally recognized for demonstrated expertise in the field.
An intensive 45 hours laboratory course is designed to equip government and corporate investigators with skills needed to safely locate and secure the computer evidence at search sites, as well as off-site analysis.
With the help of challenging group exercises and written examinations, forensic concepts and procedural skills are reinforced. An optional, online, 9-hour seminar is also available, primarily on hacker and child pornography.
Forensic examiners are provided with an essential understanding of federal and state computer laws by the newly introduced 5-day Computer Forensics Legal Issues course.
A special one-day non-examiner laboratory first responder course has been designed to introduce the examiner assistants to concepts and skills needed at the computer search. An 8-hour non-laboratory seminar, called Computer Forensics Program Manager is available for individual, responsible for supervising computer forensics operations. The course also provides an overview of essential computer forensics concepts and procedures, personnel staffing and equipment alternatives. The Program Manager seminar is inclusive of a 4-hour terrorist threat multimedia briefing.
A 6-day Computer Forensics Advanced course is designed using Linux to safely and effectively analyze Windows systems, including Windows 9.x. ME, XP and 2000 Professional. The program also includes a computer forensics technical report-writing laboratory. As the courses are no more restricted to fulltime government employees or a selected group of corporate security investigators, they are becoming popular among law enforcement, government intelligence, and corporate security professionals.
Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Computer Forensic Classes
Computer Forensics Tools
In general, a computer forensic investigator will use a tool in order to gather data from a system (e.g. a computer or computer network) without altering the data on that system. This aspect of an investigation, the care taken to avoid altering the original data, is a fundamental principle of computer forensic examination and some of the tools available include functionality specifically designed to uphold this principle. In reality it is not always easy to gather data without altering the system in some way (even the act of shutting a computer down in order to transport it will most likely cause changes to the data on that system) but an experienced investigator will always strive to protect the integrity of the original data whenever possible. In order to do this, many computer forensic examinations involve the making of an exact copy of all the data on a disk. This copy is called an image and the process of making an image is often referred to as imaging. It is this image which is usually the subject of subsequent examination.
Another key concept is that deleted data, or parts thereof, may be recoverable. Generally speaking, when data is deleted it is not physically wiped from the system but rather only a reference to the location of the data (on a hard disk or other medium) is removed. Thus the data may still be present but the operating system of the computer no longer "knows" about it. By imaging and examining all of the data on a disk, rather than just the parts known to the operating system, it may be possible to recover data which has been accidentally or purposefully deleted.
Although most real world tools are designed to carry out a specific task (the hammer to hammer nails, the screwdriver to turn a screw, etc.) some tools are designed to be multi-functional. Similarly some computer forensic tools are designed with only one purpose in mind whereas others may offer a whole range of functionality. The unique nature of every investigation will determine which tool from the investigator's toolkit is the most appropriate for the task in hand.
As well as differing in functionality and complexity, computer forensic tools also differ in cost. Some of the market-leading commercial products cost thousands of dollars while other tools are completely free. Again, the nature of the forensic examination and the goal of the investigation will determine the most appropriate tools to be used.
The collection of tools available to the investigator continues to expand and many tools are regularly updated by their developers to enable them to work with the latest technologies. Furthermore, some tools provide similar functionality but a different user interface, whereas others are unique in the information they provide to the examiner. Against this background it is the task of the computer forensic examiner to judge which tools are the most appropriate for an investigation, bearing in mind the nature of the evidence which needs to be collected and the fact that it may at some stage be presented to a court of law. Without doubt, the growing number of both civil and criminal cases where computer forensic tools play a significant role makes this a fascinating field for all those involved.
Jamie Morris is the founder of Forensic Focus - http://www.ForensicFocus.com - a leading computer forensics news and discussion website. Register at Forensic Focus today and join us in the forums: http://www.ForensicFocus.com/register
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Morris
Computer Forensics Methods For the Home User
Many homes today have more than one computer or even a home network. Homes today have: parents who use the computer for work, gaming and entertainment and also their children use it for schoolwork, gaming and socializing with their friends.
If you need to find out what's happening on your computer when you are not using it, you can do so by running software on it that tells you everything. If you prefer the long way, you could try sifting through files on the desktop to look at history, cookies, websites visited and images caches but this method is long and tedious and won't tell you everything. Plus, the others in your household may be clearing their tracks after using the computer.
You can set up your computer so that it erases all your files after each use making investigating the habits of your children, teenagers or spouse difficult. If they are clearing out the cache and temporary internet files after each use it can feel near impossible to find out what they are doing.
As a parent or husband or wife you may feel the need to investigate what your family members are doing on the computer. Perhaps you are worried that your children are chatting with strangers and giving out personal information. Maybe you are worried that your teenaged son is downloading pornography or that your teenaged daughter is chatting with undesirables. Maybe you're even worried that your husband is downloading pornography or that your wife is chatting with other men.
Whatever your concern, you can find out precisely what's happening without your family member knowing that they are under your surveillance. Programs can log every move made on the computer and report to you. You can easily install it to run in stealth mode on your personal computer to track:
-Websites visited
-Chat conversations from any instant messaging program
-Emails sent and received
-Screen shots
-Time logs
And more...
Some can send you encrypted files to any address you choose that will give you the information you need to either put your mind at ease that nothing unsafe or inappropriate is happening in your home or arm you with the evidence you need in order to confront a situation with a member of your household. These programs can find out what you need and then be removed or deactivated at will.
Children are faced with bullying and online predators constantly online. Some children don't tell their parents when they run into trouble. Some children carry on internet conversations with who they perceive to be other children but that may be pedophiles.
Spouses sometimes carry on Internet based relationships or participate in pornographic activities online. This may be something you need to know to help you in your relationship.
Total Innovations, Inc. specializes in developing award winning software programs designed to solve computer users needs. The Emailspy computer monitoring software, http://www.spyblaster.com & http://www.folderhider.com are a few of the most recent. See full details at: http://www.emailspy.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Buzz_Scott
Computer Forensics Software
Computer forensics software programs are used to detect computer frauds, crimes, etc., automatically, without retaining the services of a computer forensic specialist. Software solution processes detect operations done on a computer illegally or without authorization.
The detection by these tools or software is documented and produced in a court of law.
A number of companies such as AccessData and WetStone are developing applications that automatically generate forensic responses, eliminating the services of a computer forensic specialist. By installing such software, a lot of expenditure can be eliminated.
It is only when the software fails or finds itself inadequate that computer forensics consultants are called in. The latest developments indicate that software solutions for computer frauds and crimes are turning effective.
These software programs promise to manage everything from copying hard disks to evaluating evidence. Most of them cost around $1,000 per license so that anyone with security concerns can purchase them and get them installed without any hassle.
Utah-based AccessData has released a forensic tool kit to complement a previously limited consulting business. WetStone Technologies uses software for helping companies address steganography, the process by which nefarious employees encrypt and embed data within e-mail attachments. X-Ways Forensics, the forensic edition of Winhex, has software solutions galore with forensic features.
There are hundreds of other software kits that are continuously updating, with the incidence of sharper cyber-specific crimes. Such software can natively interpret and show the directory structure and mismanagement of the system, with recovery facilities.
These are pro-active software solutions that can detect unauthorized operations as and when these are done.
There are also numerous software suites that will go after specific instances of wrong-doing. Guidance Software sticks to software applications. Its flagship product, EnCase, is marketed as a full-service forensic tool. With the development of more and more software solutions, computer criminals are also catching up.
Computer criminals enabled with a new wave of tools and techniques can easily crack into corporate networks. As a result, the computer crime graph is going to peak. The Committee of Experts on Crime in Cyber-Space, an international coalition, has called for a treaty for increased computer surveillance for law enforcement officials around the world.
Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Computer Forensics
Computer forensics is the process of investigating computer systems by collecting and analyzing computer-related evidence and data to determine their illegal or unauthorized involvement in crimes or frauds. This relatively new field is used by law enforcement, military, intelligence agencies, and businesses. Computer evidence processing protocols are scrupulously observed in the process, as the findings should be presented in a court of law.
Not merely confined to computer data recovery alone, computer forensics is a fast-growing investigative technique used by a forensic specialist for retrieving data that has been electronically stored or encrypted on digital media such as a personal or work computer. Law enforcement agencies use computer forensics to gather evidence about a suspect or known criminal. Computer forensics experts can detect rogue employees or contractors who are leaking critical information such as company plans or sensitive customer data.
Many computer forensics professionals learn the techniques on the job in law enforcement or computer security positions. But with the field expanding widely, employers are currently looking for candidates with certificate programs and formal education in computer forensics, which are available from many institutions. The formal education programs offer instructions on pertinent legal issues, computer skills, and forensic tools that they will need while working as computer forensics professionals.
They should have extensive knowledge of computer systems and programs and the ability to retrieve information from them. Often, they are required to retrieve data that has been deleted from the device. For this, the specialist makes use of particular computer forensics software and other tools.
As the specialist works with evidence involved in a criminal or civil case, he/she takes particular care to properly document all the work done to the computer and information found from it. No licensure requirements exist for practicing as a computer forensics specialist. However, voluntary credentials should be provided. These are called Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE). Computer forensics consulting is also a fast-growing field.
Computer forensics has become an integral part of law enforcement agencies, defense forces, corporations, and large institutions as they all deal with computer offences.
Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Computer Forensics Jobs
Computer forensics is a fast-growing career field, offering immense potential for jobs in law enforcement, military, intelligence agencies, corporations, and businesses. The job opportunities are skyrocketing, commensurate with the rapid spurt in computer crimes.
Computer crimes, in the beginning, had only a sporadic occurrence. Now, it has become a fact of life that has to be dealt with by law enforcement agencies. As computer applications and the Internet have become inseparable parts of life, the instances of wrong-doing with the help of computers are the order of the day.
For tackling crimes, the computers themselves have to be scanned thoroughly to determine whether they have been used for illegal or unauthorized activities or frauds.
This can be done only by computer forensic experts who gain the tools through on-the-job experience, certification programs, and other qualifications.
Computer forensic professionals are known by many titles, such as computer forensic investigators, digital media analysts, and digital forensics detectives. Each one describes the same career as it is concerned with the investigation of digital media.
A computer forensic specialist earns salaries ranging from $85,000 to $120,000 per year, depending upon one’s skills and experience and the company and organizations he works for. Private companies offer more lucrative salaries than law enforcement agencies.
A graduate degree in computer forensics can help advance the career, making one eligible for positions as forensic team leaders or bureau supervisors. Fifty percent of FBI jobs require computer forensic applications.
Consulting is an attractive field for computer forensic professionals, as they are independent and free agents. They take up assignments at will and charge hefty sums for their time spent on the job. They bill the client per hour. The hourly remuneration ranges from $375 to $600, depending upon the kind of job they complete.
There will be an ever-increasing demand for qualified security and computer forensic professionals. Computer and networking skills no longer suffice as security is of prime importance for the server, work station, or router.
Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Computer Forensics Consulting
Computer forensics consulting is an emerging and fast-growing field in which consulting services are offered to governmental agencies, military, corporations, small companies, and businesses. Computer forensic specialists offer their services in an independent capacity. This means they are not on the regular staff of any agency or institution.
Computer forensic specialists can be hired as consultants or freelancers for regular work in small businesses and institutions that cannot appoint regular computer forensic experts. They may even be retained for a particular assignment for unusual data recovery situations.
These consultants are paid by the hour for the work they do and the services they render, which usually are the same as an in-house computer forensic specialist does. They are responsible as regular computer forensic experts for retrieving and evaluating data encrypted or stored on digital media.
The consultant has variety in discharging his functions, as he works on a case-to-case basis. Each case may differ from the other, for which the specialist will have to infuse all the skills and applications to ferret out the information and data. The computer forensics consultant will also have to go through the same processes of filing the data before a court of law. He should have adequate knowledge of the legal processes.
Computer forensic investigators often begin their careers in law enforcement agencies or computer security. They learn the techniques on–the-job or through training and certification. Later, they establish themselves in offering consulting services.
As computer forensics investigators have become much sought-after, educational accomplishments in the field are becoming desirable, for which associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree courses are available.
The computer forensic consultants have to prove their qualifications. Certifications are available with a large number of organizations. However, the two most common certifications are the Certificate Information Systems (CISS) and the Certified Computer Examiner (CCE). These are voluntary credentials, which should be provided to the agencies or firms that retain consultants.
There are professional certificate programs, which are a common method of earning education in computer forensics. Certificate programs are short-courses of study requiring less than ten courses.
With increasing cases of computer fraud, computer forensics consulting is becoming a lucrative assignment.
Computer Forensics provides detailed information on Computer Forensics, Computer Forensics Software, Computer Forensics Consulting, Computer Forensics Jobs and more. Computer Forensics is affiliated with Industrial Robots.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Online Computer Forensic Course
Tech savvy and tech savvy wannabes alike can now learn more and more even at the comforts of their homes and couches. Those who already have a bachelor's degree in computer or Information Technology related courses can further expand their expertise with an ease through a higher computer course online. Similarly, non-IT professionals or career people who are in need of basic or advance IT training constrained by distance or busy schedule can opt for the online education option.
Working in an IT-based or IT-intertwined company means continuous upgrading, learning, and exposure to the latest trends and knowledge on computer technology and all its related facets. In the IT world, innovation, competency, and modernity are essential for survival and longevity. With the advent of more sophisticated internet, expanding skills and competencies in information technology has become easier and more constraints-sensitive. An online computer course is now just clicks of a computer away.
For those who have just stepped inside the world of information technology, a number of beginner's courses are available. Starters usually have to begin learning various computer programs and applications. Many software and computer companies, like Linux, are now offering online computer training and programming courses. For *Microsoft applications*, training courses on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, MS Project, MS Office 97, MS Office 2000, Windows operating systems basic, and Windows NT Workstation are mostly taken up by beginners. MAC OS9 and MAC troubleshooting training courses are the ones mostly sought by MAC starters. These online training courses mostly come in packages priced based on extensiveness and promotions campaign by the manufacturers.
Web design, web development, web management, web graphics and animation training, HTML courses, and many others are available for people already equipped with basic computer applications training. For more advanced IT enthusiasts, online training and full blown computer courses are also abundant. There are online courses on telecommunications, technology and security, search engine positioning, wireless technology, networking, systems design, and systems management.
In a more complex note, there is already an online course on computer forensics. The High-Tech Crime Network now has an online training center providing computer forensic training. The training program is especially intended and designed for professionals in the field of network administration, IS and MIS specialization, auditing, investigation, and fraud examinations. The program trains them in handling computer sources that potentially contain pieces of evidence and pertinent data pertinent to the cases they are handling.
The computer forensic training course trains a forensic person in recovering, retrieving, and analyzing data from disk operating systems, Windows operating system (with concentration on Windows 9.x), and even from NTFS structures used by Windows NT, 2000, and XP operating systems. Data gathered from these sources are then studied for their potential use in legal investigations or even court hearings and other investigative proceedings.
The program is very time-flexible, giving its students enough time to fully comprehend the principles and procedures of modern forensics method. It is also lenient in terms of workshops and practical applications, allowing the trainer and trainee to have more time in digesting the data at hand. The program allows the students to proceed to the next level of training in the time most convenient for their schedules.
The program employs advance methodologies in forensic investigation like recovery of pieces of evidence from a magnetic source and transforming these raw data into accurate translations. This is followed by practical exercises on data presentation and analysis. These exercises are aimed at training the students in conducting sterile examination on various media, creation of forensic boot storage devices, replication of various media into forensic forms, and recovery of erased, altered, hidden, and even lost data. The exercises prepare a student to learn unlocking passwords, formatting data, accessing mail, and other private web-based information storage media, collating internet related files and cookies.
For about four months or so, a student in this program will be able to formulate sound analysis on technology-based pieces of evidence. Graduates of this program are expected to aid in more expedient and accurate investigations of hard-to-solve frauds and felonies. This program boasts of a partnership with Kennesaw State University.
For more valuable information on college course online, computer course, please visit http://www.coursenotes.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Bleak
Computer Forensics - Finding Out What The Bad Guys Did With Their Computers!
Computer forensics is a lot like the CSI investigation programs on the television. Using advanced techniques and technologies, a computer forensic scientist will reconstruct a possible crime using the data that one computer systems. This data may include email trails, files, hidden directories and other related clues.
Computer Forensics is the scientific study of computers or computer related data in relation to an investigation by a law enforcement agency for use in a court of law. While this technology may be as old as computers themselves, the advances in technology are constantly revising this science.
While all computer languages are created with ones and zeros, it's much easier to track what was done when, although by whom continues to be problematic. Forensic science has done well to keep up with the task of tracking and tracing what is done and creation of a timeline in an attempt to reconstruct a possible crime. Although it's possible to clean and remove data from a hard drive, most people simply think that a delete key really removed the data. In actuality, the delete key simply removed the file location from an index file and the actual data is still safely on the system. It's up to the data recovery skills of the forensic computer personnel to capture and restore that data without modification.
Computer forensics can be used to track emails, instant messaging and just about any other form of computer related communications. This can be necessary, especially in the world where computers and data travel around the world in seconds. Packet sniffers can literally be placed within a data stream and provide information on what's running through the network in real time. This is really phenomenal considering the millions upon millions of data packets moving through any individual part of the network.
Computer forensic science is an interesting niche in the law enforcement field that is seldom considered as a career. As it's relatively new, the field is considered by many to be wide open for anyone with the initiative to learn the skills. Unlike many computer related jobs, a computer forensic specialist will not be outsourced to a country on the other side of the world. The confidentiality of the data is just too sensitive to allow it to travel throughout the world just to save a little cash.
Abigail Franks writes on many subjects having to do with home, and Business. For more information on computer forensics visit the site at http://www.openbriefcase.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbie_Frank
Computer Forensic Experts
Computer forensics is the process of preserving, identifying, extracting and documenting valuable electronic data. The term was first used in 1991 in a training session of the International Association of Computer Specialists (IACIS). Computer forensics has been used in law enforcement and military applications for a long time now, to gather evidence from electronic sources. Today, it is being increasingly used even in the corporate sector. The increasing volumes of electronic data being created, stored and transferred each day is the main reason for this.
Every second, thousands of pages of electronic data are being transferred across the world. In the process, the data could be lost or altered. Computer forensics involves the retrieval of this lost data using special software tools and techniques. It is used to identify valuable data from personal computers or other electronic data storage devices. It is also used to identify the leakage of sensitive data from the computer, or any inherent weaknesses in the system.
When documents are created electronically, they are stored in temporary files. Even when they are deleted or updated, some remnants still remain on the hard disk and can be recovered using special tools.
Computer forensics involves the creation of a backup of all the data in the computer. This data is a mirror image of the entire hard disk, and contains even temporary, deleted or altered files. The forensic expert creates a digital fingerprint of the original hard drive to ensure that it is not tampered with while retrieving data. Data is retrieved from the mirror file rather than the original file, so as to not alter date stamps or other useful data. The retrieval process also reveals historical information about the file, such as when it was deleted or altered. The retrieved information can be converted into any required format. There are thus three stages in data recovery: acquire, analyze and report.
There are many companies that provide computer forensic services. There are also many software tools with several useful options such as cloning and disk imaging, file preview, picture gallery, etc. that enable faster and more accurate forensic recoveries.
Electronic Discovery provides detailed information on Electronic Discovery, Electronic Evidence Discovery, Electronic Data Discovery, Electronic Discovery Software and more. Electronic Discovery is affiliated with Electronic Component Distributors.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson
Posts
