Final Project Milestone Two Draft Of Memoto Complete

8 Final Project Milestone Two Draft Of Memoto Complete This Assignmen

Describe how the results from the forensic investigation assisted you with resolving the incident and identifying security impacts. Describe the accuracy, validity, and defensibility of the investigative steps that were taken. Your entire internal memo should employ brevity and consumable language while presenting the necessary information.

Paper For Above instruction

The forensic investigation into Drew Patrick’s activities provided critical insights that contributed significantly to resolving the security incident and understanding its broader impacts on the organization. The analysis of the digital evidence not only confirmed unauthorized exfiltration of proprietary data but also offered a comprehensive understanding of the methods employed and the scope of the breach. This detailed examination laid a solid foundation for subsequent legal actions and strategic responses, emphasizing both the importance of accurate forensic procedures and the need for clear communication to non-technical stakeholders.

The primary way in which the forensic investigation assisted in resolving the incident was through the identification and verification of unauthorized data transfers. Evidence uncovered from multiple sources—such as the hard drive image, network logs, and email correspondence—demonstrated that Drew had intentionally accessed and transferred proprietary information, including design documentation, Excel spreadsheets, and SQL databases. The forensic process confirmed that these activities occurred outside of regular work hours and without proper authorization, thus establishing probable cause for disciplinary and legal proceedings. The preservation of data through the creation of a forensically sound duplicate ensured that the original evidence remained unaltered and admissible in court, thereby reinforcing the validity of the findings.

The investigation elucidated the security impacts of Drew’s actions, revealing vulnerabilities in the organization's access control and monitoring systems. The detection of the anonymous account activity and the use of peer-to-peer file sharing highlighted weaknesses in user authentication and policy enforcement. Moreover, the discovery of illicit file transfers to external IP addresses underscored the importance of ongoing network monitoring and threat detection capabilities. These results prompted the organization to reevaluate its cybersecurity defenses, including enhancing user activity audits, tightening access privileges, and improving network segmentation to mitigate similar threats in the future.

The accuracy of the forensic steps was supported by adherence to established protocols and the use of reputable forensic tools such as FTK, Autopsy, and Windows Forensic Toolchest. The chain of custody was meticulously documented, ensuring that evidence was collected, preserved, and analyzed systematically, thus maintaining its integrity and credibility. Hash values were generated for both the original and duplicate images, further validating that the forensic copies remained unaltered throughout the process. These measures upheld the defensibility of the investigative approach, confirming that the methodology was robust, repeatable, and compliant with industry standards.

The validity of the findings was reinforced by multiple sources of corroborating evidence. Email correspondence, chat logs, and browser cache collectively painted a consistent picture of Drew’s intentions and actions. The recovered communications indicated efforts to clandestinely search for and purchase proprietary information through dark web channels, supporting the conclusion that data exfiltration was deliberate. Additionally, SQL database files revealed connection logs and evidence of data access that aligned with the timeline of file transfers. Cross-referencing these various artifacts ensured a comprehensive and reliable assessment of the incident.

Furthermore, the investigative steps were defensible due to their compliance with legal and organizational policies. The forensic team secured proper authorization before accessing the suspect’s computer and network logs. The digital evidence was handled in accordance with chain of custody procedures, and the analysis methods employed are well-established in the digital forensic community. Such protocol adherence guarantees that the evidence is admissible in civil or criminal proceedings and that the investigation holds up under scrutiny.

In summary, the forensic investigation played a pivotal role in clarifying the scope and nature of Drew Patrick’s misconduct. By leveraging methodical and validated procedures, the investigation produced reliable, admissible evidence that confirmed unauthorized data exfiltration, identified key vulnerabilities, and supported legal action. The insights gained from this process will guide future cybersecurity enhancements and reinforce the organization’s commitment to protecting intellectual property and maintaining legal defensibility in incident management.

References

  • Casey, E. (2011). Digital evidence and computer Crime: Forensic science, computers, and the internet. Academic Press.
  • Pollitt, M. (2020). Forensic methods and procedures in cybersecurity investigations. Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law, 15(2), 45-59.
  • Rogers, M. (2017). Digital forensic investigation: A practical approach. CRC Press.
  • Kruse, W. G., & Heiser, J. G. (2002). Computer forensics: Incident response essentials. Addison-Wesley.
  • Casey, E. (2019). The practice of network forensics: Preparing for the challenges of digital evidence. Academic Press.
  • Gupta, S., & Sharma, V. (2019). Ensuring forensic soundness: Principles and best practices. Cybersecurity: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, 4(1), 20-28.
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2019). Guide to digital forensics and incident response. NIST Special Publication 800-101.
  • Peterson, R. M. (2014). Forensic analysis of criminal computer investigations: A practical guide. Springer.
  • Easttom, C. (2018). Computer forensics: Investigating networked devices. Pearson.
  • Yar, M. (2013). Forensic investigation of cybercrimes. Wiley.

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