

Forensic Focus
Forensic Focus: Digital Forensics, Incident Response, DFIR
Digital forensics discussion for computer forensics, DFIR and eDiscovery professionals. Visit Forensic Focus at forensicfocus.com for more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 15, 2022 • 52min
Si and Desi Holiday Special 2022
Just like your current holiday shopping for last minute presents a lot of the good stuff has gone off the shelves already. You reach to the back and find the toy nobody really wanted but it's the thought that counts, you stare down at Si and Desi's Holiday Special 2022 podcast. Please join these two as they lament over the year that was, discuss all the things they didn't do but promise they will do them next year, query whether putting a NAS in the storage of a roller door is a good idea, and finally arrive at what they're looking forward to bringing you in the new year. Show Notes: Arduino PLC IDE - https://docs.arduino.cc/software/plc-ide Mycroft Mark II (open source Alexa) - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aiforeveryone/mycroft-mark-ii-the-open-voice-assistant Christa's new blog - https://christammiller.com/ Si's holiday reading - https://amzn.to/3iJyGrR Desi's holiday reading - https://inteltechniques.com/ Strange event for the end of the year - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/25-suspected-members-german-far-right-group-arrested-raids-prosecutors-office-2022-12-07/ Si's wishful thinking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXnRgXclLd0 Si's list to do before the EOY - https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-4x5-camera Desi's list to do before EOY - https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-reset-your-phone-before-you-sell-it/ "Cleaning your office" - https://www.manfrotto.com/uk-en/vintage-collapsible-1-5-x-2-1m-ink-sage-ll-lb5720/ Conference recorder - https://amzn.to/3UBmre5 Desi's blog - https://www.hardlyadequate.com/

Dec 12, 2022 • 41min
Cyacomb's Jeffrey Bell, Brandon Gardner & Alan McConnell on the Facets of Digital Forensic Triage
The investigation of child exploitation is a delicate balance between rescuing children, ensuring perpetrators are correctly identified, and safeguarding investigator mental health. This week on the Forensic Focus podcast, Christa and Si are with Cyacomb, talking digital forensics with: Jeffrey Bell, Customer Success Manager; Alan McConnell, Head of Customer Success; and Brandon Gardner, Program Manager.

Dec 5, 2022 • 39min
Detego's Andy Lister on Interoperability Between Field & Lab
As digital forensics decentralizes, shifting more responsibilities from lab to field personnel, tools that can manage the evidence from different user groups are ever more important. In this episode, Christa and Si talk with Andrew Lister, Managing Director at Detego Global, about interoperability between field and lab. They discuss Detego's significant post-pandemic growth, what it is about interoperable frontline and lab tools that other solutions miss, and the biggest challenges when adapting a military field tool to more regulated environments. To read Andy's previous interview with us, visit https://www.forensicfocus.com/interviews/andy-lister-global-business-development-director-detego.

Nov 28, 2022 • 41min
Cyacomb's Graham Little & Mike Burridge on Making the Online World a Safer Place
This week, Christa and Si talk with Cyacomb's Graham Little and Mike Burridge about the technology it takes to identify child sexual abuse and terrorist imagery, on both devices and the online world. The balance between public safety and privacy is discussed, along with challenges faced by both social media providers preventing imagery from being shared, and law enforcement investigating the perpetrators. Also described: technological challenges and what they mean for investigations and prosecutions, including the need for training and education of users; and new developments coming from Cyacomb.

Nov 21, 2022 • 15min
Detective Lee Bieber on Digital Forensics Tools for Complex Cases
In this episode, Detective Lee Bieber of the Plantation Florida Police Department and the FBI's Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force in Miami talks with podcast host Christa Miller about his background, the trends he's noticed in criminal use of digital technology, and the artifacts that make up the elements of a statutory crime. Also discussed: putting digital artifacts together into a picture using various forensic tools, and the tool that helps him most in his investigations.

Nov 14, 2022 • 1h 16min
HTCIA, DFRWS-APAC, and the DFIR Events Industry: A Critique
You can't put a price on bants! Friends and enemies welcome as this week Christa, Si, and Desi recap HTCIA and DFRWS. Deep dive into ticket prices and accessibility. Wonder whether there is innovation in the vendor space. Consider running their own virtual Forensic Focus conference in 2023. They briefly touch on neurodiversity, potential guests, and we all get treated to Si's long preamble and and slightly shorter outro. Show Notes: DFRWS APAC 2022 Program - https://dfrws.org/apac-2022-program/ BSides AUS - https://www.bsidesau.com.au/ BSides UK - https://www.securitybsides.org.uk/# HTCIA - https://htcia.org/ Heather Mahalik's talk on verifying evidence CYACOMB Prioritizing time sensitive investigations with Rapid Digital Triage - Alan McConnell Hansken Forensics - https://www.hansken.nl/ Velociraptor - https://www.rapid7.com/products/velociraptor/ Sydney Declaration IAFS 2023 - https://iafs2023.com.au/sydney-declaration/

Nov 7, 2022 • 36min
MSAB's James Eichbaum Takes Us Behind the Scenes of Digital Forensic Tool Training
This week, Si and Christa talk with James Eichbaum, global training manager at MSAB, about: The technical and procedural challenges that students bring to class that inform R&D and, in turn, training. The importance of training to thorough, forensically sound examinations, as well as to educating managers and other stakeholders on why thoroughness is important. As well, the need and ability for examiners to be able to articulate their own processes in a rapidly changing field. Training for different levels of personnel, from frontline officers all the way up to the lab. How the COVID-19 pandemic affected training course design and delivery. Some of the new things to look out for in both products and training from MSAB. Show Notes: Our previous interview with James: https://www.forensicfocus.com/interviews/james-eichbaum-global-training-manager-msab/ Our interview with Matthew Sorell on mobile device forensics: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/university-of-adelaides-dr-matthew-sorell-on-evidentiary-health-data-at-dfrws-apac-2022/ The FORMOBILE project: https://www.formobile-project.eu/ MSAB training: https://www.msab.com/training-overview/

Oct 31, 2022 • 53min
The Historic View of Financial Cybercrime
In this episode, Desi and Si talk with Alex Tilley, who's part of the counter threat unit at Secureworks, as a followup to Alex's presentation on the history of financial cybercrime. Show Notes: The business club writeup from 00:18:25 https://www.secureworks.com/research/evolution-of-the-gold-evergreen-threat-group Fast-flux and round robin DNS Anti-money laundering legislation https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/other-legislation/anti-money-laundering#:~:text=The%20Anti%2DMoney%20Laundering%20and,sector%2C%20gambling%20sector%2C%20remittance%20( Operation Tovar https://www.secureworks.com/blog/operation-tovar-dell-secureworks-contributes-to-efforts-targeting-gameover-zeus-and-cryptolocker SMBiT Pro - Presenting Gold Coast end of October https://www.smbitpro.org/ ISACA - CBR Conference https://engage.isaca.org/canberrachapter/events/eventdescription?CalendarEventKey=29ea5d1c-5ee0-4bd7-b4ce-e591603ba8b3&CommunityKey=43346d1e-8e11-443a-bfa6-93582a92ad0f&Home=%2Fmelbournechapter%2Fevents%2Fcalendar

Oct 24, 2022 • 36min
Devon & Cornwall Police's Steve Slater on Implementing RASSO Changes in Digital Forensics Units
In this episode, Steve Slater, Head of Digital Forensics at Devon and Cornwall Police in the United Kingdom, gives Christa and Si an overview of implementation the new Rape and Serious Sexual Offence protocol: How digital forensics technology supplements a victim-centred, team approach Differences between victim and suspect acquisition processes What goes into balancing victim care with a forensically sound data collection How the protocol continues to adapt to the times: not just in terms of technology, but also in recruiting representative personnel and supporting their mental health Pandemic-era processes and procedures Further reading: https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/metropolitan-police-service-and-crown-prosecution-publish-review-r-v-allan https://ico.org.uk/

Oct 17, 2022 • 58min
An In-Depth Conversation on Digital Forensics Training and Certification
Following on their "unsupervised" discussion, this week Si and Desi focus on training and certification, including: Steps and missteps in commercial and government efforts to close the cyber skills gap through training and professional development The value of perspectives from different fields to digital forensics and incident response The shortcomings of certifications as measures of proficiency, and the need to teach a foundation of how to learn, not just pass certification exams Alternatives to certifications, such as chartered professionals, CTFs and coursework with practical elements The need for mentors to help develop professionals CyberCX Academy announcement: https://news-events.cybercx.com.au/cybercx-academy-launched-to-help-solve-cyber-skills-crisis Marketing fail: UK government criticised for 'crass' ad advising ballerina to retrain in IT: https://www.netimperative.com/2020/10/13/marketing-fail-uk-government-criticised-for-crass-ad-advising-ballerina-to-retrain-in-it/ Distant Traces and Their Use in Crime Scene Investigation: https://www.forensicfocus.com/webinars/distant-traces-and-their-use-in-crime-scene-investigation/ Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre: https://www.cybercollaboration.org.au/ dfrws.org


