Scenario After The Recent Security Breach: Always Fresh Deci

Scenarioafter The Recent Security Breach Always Fresh Decided To Form

Scenario after the recent security breach, Always Fresh decided to form a computer security incident response team (CSIRT). As a security administrator, you have been assigned the responsibility of developing a CSIRT policy that addresses incident evidence collection and handling. The goal is to ensure all evidence collected during investigations is valid and admissible in court. Consider the following questions for collecting and handling evidence: 1. What are the main concerns when collecting evidence? 2. What precautions are necessary to preserve evidence state? 3. How do you ensure evidence remains in its initial state? 4. What information and procedures are necessary to ensure evidence is admissible in court? Tasks Create a policy that ensures all evidence is collected and handled in a secure and efficient manner. Remember, you are writing a policy, not procedures. Focus on the high-level tasks, not the individual steps. Address the following in your policy: § Description of information required for items of evidence § Documentation required in addition to item details (personnel, description of circumstances, and so on) § Description of measures required to preserve initial evidence integrity § Description of measures required to preserve ongoing evidence integrity § Controls necessary to maintain evidence integrity in storage § Documentation required to demonstrate evidence integrity 1000 words APA format with references needed

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

In the aftermath of a security breach, the integrity and admissibility of evidence become critical to internal investigations and potential legal proceedings. Establishing a comprehensive CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) policy focused on evidence collection and handling is vital for ensuring that digital evidence remains valid, reliable, and legally defensible. This paper explores the core concerns in evidence collection, the necessary precautions to preserve evidence integrity, and the high-level considerations for documentation and storage to maintain the evidentiary value in court. Adhering to well-defined policies ensures that incident response efforts are systematic, consistent, and compliant with legal standards.

Concerns in Evidence Collection

The primary concerns in evidence collection center around maintaining the authenticity, integrity, and chain of custody of digital evidence (Rogers et al., 2020). First, ensuring that the evidence is not contaminated or altered during collection is crucial. Digital evidence can be sensitive to modification, making it essential to prevent any unintended changes. Second, contamination with unrelated data or improper handling can invalidate evidence (Casey, 2011). Third, personnel involved in evidence collection must be appropriately trained and authorized to prevent tampering, which could compromise the evidence’s admissibility in court. Additionally, documentation of the entire collection process is essential for establishing the chain of custody, which demonstrates that evidence has been consistently tracked and protected from collection to presentation in court (Yar et al., 2019).

Precautions to Preserve Evidence State

To preserve the evidence's initial state, strict precautions must be implemented across the collection, transfer, and storage processes. First, evidence should be collected using write-blockers when dealing with storage media such as hard drives or USB devices to prevent modification (Rogers et al., 2020). Second, immediate imaging of digital media is recommended, creating an exact bit-by-bit copy of the original evidence to avoid handling the original directly. Third, evidence must be sealed in tamper-evident containers, and proper labeling should be applied to prevent mix-ups or contamination. Fourth, chain of custody forms should accompany each piece of evidence, capturing every transfer or access point. This documentation acts as a safeguard against allegations of tampering or mishandling (Sommers, 2021).

Ensuring Evidence Remains in Its Initial State

Maintaining the initial state of digital evidence requires robust procedural controls. Utilizing write-protect techniques and hardware-based imaging tools ensures no alterations occur when creating copies. The original evidence must be stored securely in a controlled environment, such as a locked evidence room with limited access, to prevent unauthorized access or environmental damage (Casey, 2011). Additionally, all handling activities should be recorded in detailed logs, including personnel involved, timestamps, and reasons for access. To further safeguard the evidence, cryptographic hash functions like MD5 or SHA-256 should be computed at the time of collection and stored securely; these hashes provide a fingerprint to later verify that the evidence remains unaltered (Rogers et al., 2020).

Admissibility in Court: Information and Procedures

For evidence to be admissible in court, the CSIRT policy must include clear procedures for documentation, handling, and storage that meet legal standards. The policy must specify the required information for each piece of evidence, such as date and time of collection, location, description, personnel involved, and circumstances leading to collection (Yar et al., 2019). Proper chain of custody documentation is critical; it should record every transfer, examination, or movement of evidence, with signatures or initials from responsible persons and timestamps. To establish the evidence's integrity, cryptographic hashes should be generated and documented at each stage, demonstrating that the evidence remains unchanged throughout the investigative process (Casey, 2011). Legal compliance may also entail adherence to standards such as the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) and Digital Evidence Guidelines, which specify admissibility criteria concerning authenticity, relevance, and integrity (Sommers, 2021).

High-Level Evidence Handling Policies

The policy should articulate high-level directives for evidence collection and handling, emphasizing the importance of maintaining integrity and legal compliance. It must stipulate that only trained personnel with proper authorization are permitted to conduct evidence collection. All evidence handling activities should be meticulously documented, including digital hashes, personnel involved, timestamps, and handling procedures. Storage controls must include access restrictions, environmental controls, and monitoring to prevent tampering or environmental damage. Storage media should be stored in secure, tamper-evident containers under lock and key, with access limited to authorized personnel. Routine audits and verifications, such as hash comparisons and physical inspections, should be scheduled periodically to ensure ongoing integrity. The policy must also require comprehensive documentation demonstrating chain of custody and evidence integrity, including signed logs and cryptographic validation reports, to satisfy evidentiary standards in court (Rogers et al., 2020).

Conclusion

Developing a robust CSIRT evidence handling policy is paramount in ensuring the integrity, admissibility, and legal defensibility of evidence collected during cybersecurity investigations. The policy must address the critical concerns associated with evidence collection, emphasizing transparency, preservation of the initial state, and integrity during handling and storage. High-level guidance on documentation and controls ensures that evidence remains reliable throughout the investigative process and complies with legal standards. Implementing such policies positions organizations to effectively respond to incidents while safeguarding their legal interests and facilitating successful prosecution or defense in court.

References

• Casey, E. (2011). Digital Evidence and Computer Crime: Forensic Science, Computers, and the Law (3rd ed.). Academic Press.
• Rogers, M. K., Ritter, M., & Haggerty, J. (2020). Digital Evidence and Investigations: A Guide to Forensic Collection, Examination, and Analysis. CRC Press.
• Sommers, P. (2021). Cybersecurity policies and procedures: Building a comprehensive security program. Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law, 16(2), 75-88.
• Yar, M., et al. (2019). Digital Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Cyber Crime. Wiley.