There are a number of reasons why an individual may resort to using external devices. Things like external USB hard-drives, external USB flash drives, the storage for mobile phones and even some Internet of Things (IOT) can function as a target for data. In a variety of matters, Vestige sees individuals resorting to storing data in these external locations. Sometimes it is convenience or habit. Other times these locations are chosen with a belief that the information can’t be obtained through an investigation or even that evidence of the act of copying/storing or moving data to these locations is difficult, if not impossible, to trace.
Like much of what happens in the digital world, artifacts are left behind that provide leads and give clues to a digital forensic analyst that this kind of activity has taken place. The use of such devices may be paramount to proving or disproving allegations. Vestige analysts are adept at analyzing such clues and can determine things like:
- Was a specific device ever attached to this workstation/laptop?
- When was the device first seen? When was it last seen?
- How many times or how frequent was the device used?
- Was data accessed from the device or data copied/moved to the device?
- What is the general pattern of use of such devices by the operator of the workstation/laptop? Do they often make use of such storage media or it is a rarity?
If you believe your matter could benefit from the analysis of external devices, make sure to discuss it with Vestige.
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