Computer Forensics: Incident Response Essentials

Chapter 4. Encryption and Forensics

Digital encryption techniques are used to protect data in two ways: to maintain privacy and to prove integrity. These are both vital concerns to the forensic analyst, and at least a basic familiarity with cryptographic techniques is mandatory for anyone responsible for analyzing or preserving digital evidence. Necessity is the mother of invention, and history has shown us that humans invent new ways to protect themselves from new risks. It’s ironic, but the better we become at digital forensics, the more motivated criminals are to conceal their behavior—the threat of detection encourages the use of encryption. In our new virtual society, law-abiding citizens also have many legitimate reasons to protect their ...