Tag: Law Enforcement

Reclaim time in your digital investigations with Magnet One: Part 4 – Simplify your data management 

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Managing the vast amounts of data generated in today’s investigations has become a major challenge for digital forensics labs. Not only do you need to acquire, process, and analyze the ever-growing volumes of digital evidence coming into your lab, but you must also find a way to securely and reliably manage it throughout your entire investigative lifecycle – any lapse in data availability, integrity, or chain of custody can compromise your entire investigation and derail a prosecution.

That One Artifact: The search history that spoke volumes

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In digital forensics, the fight against technology can sometimes get in the way of the fight for justice. Whether it’s an encrypted phone sitting in a lab queue awaiting support or a crucial lead buried in gigabytes of data, solving a case can sometimes come down to a single update or surfacing a single artifact. And in some cases, that one artifact doesn’t just whisper its significance—it screams.

Making media authentication easier to understand with automated analysis

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Photos, videos, and other media files have become critical to investigations. They establish timelines, corroborate witness statements, and reveal details that would otherwise be overlooked. But media is also one of the easiest forms of evidence to manipulate. Editing tools are widely available and simple to use. Metadata can be easily altered with minimal technical knowledge. Deepfake and AI-generated content continues to evolve, making it harder to distinguish authentic from manipulated media. Attorneys may question whether a file is genuine, and investigators must respond with authoritative answers that can withstand scrutiny.

How to execute defensible, comprehensive legal holds with digital forensics

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When business data is distributed across cloud platforms, remote endpoints, mobile devices, and virtual systems, organizations face complex challenges responding to litigation or regulatory events, such as legal holds for eDiscovery investigations. Legal teams must not only identify and preserve electronically stored information (ESI) but also ensure the authenticity, integrity, and defensibility of the evidence collected.

Forensic Analysis of Prefetch files in Windows

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This is the fourth blog post in a series of five about recovering Business Applications & OS Artifacts for your digital forensics investigations.   What are prefetch files? Prefetch files are great artifacts for forensic investigators trying to analyze applications that have been run on a system. Windows creates a prefetch file when an application is … Continued

Forensic analysis of LNK files

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This is the third blog post in a series of five about recovering Business Applications & OS Artifacts for your digital forensics investigations.  What are LNK files? LNK files are a relatively simple but valuable artifact for the forensics investigator. Shortcut files link to an application or file commonly found on a user’s desktop or … Continued

Digital Forensics: Artifact Profile – Windows Recycle Bin

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Windows Recycle Bin in Digital Forensics The Windows Recycle Bin, a seemingly simple feature, has undergone significant changes across different versions of the Windows operating system. This artifact is not just a virtual trash can but a critical element in digital forensic investigations. Understanding its evolution and functionality can provide valuable insights into user activity … Continued