🔍 Incident Response & Digital Forensics

Master the investigation of security incidents and recovery of digital evidence

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Incident Response & Forensics Curriculum

13
Forensics Units
~75
Investigation Techniques
30+
Forensic Tools
NIST
Framework Aligned
1

Incident Response Fundamentals

Learn the foundations of incident response, frameworks, and organizational preparation.

  • Incident response lifecycle
  • NIST framework
  • Team structure and roles
  • Incident classification
  • Communication protocols
  • Legal considerations
  • Documentation standards
  • Continuous improvement
2

Digital Forensics Principles

Master the fundamental principles and methodologies of digital forensic investigations.

  • Forensic methodology
  • Evidence acquisition
  • Chain of custody
  • Legal admissibility
  • Forensic imaging
  • Hash verification
  • Write protection
  • Documentation procedures
3

Incident Detection and Analysis

Develop skills in detecting security incidents and performing initial analysis.

  • Security monitoring
  • Log analysis
  • Anomaly detection
  • Indicator identification
  • Threat intelligence
  • Correlation techniques
  • False positive analysis
  • Escalation procedures
4

Evidence Acquisition and Preservation

Learn proper techniques for acquiring and preserving digital evidence.

  • Live system acquisition
  • Dead system imaging
  • Memory dumps
  • Network captures
  • Mobile device acquisition
  • Cloud evidence collection
  • Volatile data preservation
  • Evidence integrity
5

File System Forensics

Analyze file systems and recover deleted or hidden data from storage devices.

  • File system structures
  • NTFS analysis
  • ext3/ext4 analysis
  • FAT file systems
  • Deleted file recovery
  • File carving
  • Metadata analysis
  • Timeline reconstruction
6

Memory Forensics

Investigate volatile memory to uncover running processes, network connections, and malware.

  • Memory structure
  • Process analysis
  • Network connections
  • Registry analysis
  • Malware detection
  • Rootkit analysis
  • Volatility framework
  • Memory artifacts
7

Network Forensics

Analyze network traffic and communications to reconstruct attack scenarios.

  • Packet capture analysis
  • Protocol analysis
  • Traffic reconstruction
  • Email forensics
  • Web traffic analysis
  • Encrypted traffic
  • Network timeline
  • Intrusion detection
8

Malware Analysis

Analyze malicious software to understand attack vectors and develop countermeasures.

  • Static analysis
  • Dynamic analysis
  • Behavioral analysis
  • Code analysis
  • Sandbox analysis
  • Reverse engineering
  • Indicator extraction
  • Attribution analysis
9

Mobile Device Forensics

Investigate smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices for digital evidence.

  • iOS forensics
  • Android forensics
  • Physical acquisition
  • Logical acquisition
  • App data analysis
  • Communication records
  • Location data
  • Cloud synchronization
10

Cloud Forensics

Investigate incidents in cloud environments and analyze cloud-based evidence.

  • Cloud architecture forensics
  • Virtual machine analysis
  • Container forensics
  • Cloud logs analysis
  • API forensics
  • Multi-tenancy challenges
  • Jurisdictional issues
  • Cloud provider cooperation
11

Timeline Analysis and Reconstruction

Create comprehensive timelines to understand the sequence of events during incidents.

  • Timeline methodologies
  • Timestamp analysis
  • Correlation techniques
  • Event reconstruction
  • Super timeline creation
  • Temporal analysis
  • Timeline visualization
  • Cross-evidence correlation
12

Forensic Reporting and Legal Considerations

Prepare forensic reports and understand legal requirements for digital evidence.

  • Report writing
  • Expert testimony
  • Legal procedures
  • Evidence presentation
  • Court admissibility
  • Cross-examination
  • Privacy laws
  • International considerations
13

Recovery and Lessons Learned

Focus on post-incident recovery activities and organizational learning.

  • System restoration
  • Business continuity
  • Post-incident review
  • Lessons learned
  • Process improvement
  • Training updates
  • Tool evaluation
  • Capability maturity

Unit 1: Incident Response Fundamentals

Learn the foundations of incident response, frameworks, and organizational preparation.

Incident Response Lifecycle

Understand the structured approach to handling security incidents from detection to recovery.

Preparation Detection Analysis Containment Eradication Recovery
The incident response lifecycle provides a systematic approach to managing security incidents. Each phase has specific objectives, activities, and deliverables that ensure effective incident handling.
# NIST Incident Response Lifecycle
incident_lifecycle = {
  "preparation": {
    "activities": [
      "Develop incident response plan",
      "Train incident response team",
      "Establish communication procedures",
      "Deploy monitoring tools"
    ],
    "deliverables": ["IR plan", "Team contact list", "Tool inventory"]
  },
  "detection_and_analysis": {
    "activities": [
      "Monitor security events",
      "Analyze potential incidents",
      "Validate incident occurrence",
      "Assess incident scope and impact"
    ],
    "tools": ["SIEM", "IDS/IPS", "Log analysis", "Threat intelligence"]
  },
  "containment_eradication_recovery": {
    "short_term_containment": "Immediate isolation and damage control",
    "long_term_containment": "Temporary fixes and system hardening",
    "eradication": "Remove malware and vulnerabilities",
    "recovery": "Restore systems and return to normal operations"
  },
  "post_incident_activity": {
    "lessons_learned": "Review incident handling effectiveness",
    "evidence_retention": "Preserve evidence per legal requirements",
    "process_improvement": "Update procedures based on findings"
  }
}

Team Structure and Roles

Establish effective incident response team structures with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

Core IR Team Roles:
• Incident Response Manager: Overall coordination and decision-making
• Security Analyst: Technical analysis and investigation
• Forensics Specialist: Evidence collection and analysis
• Communications Lead: Internal and external communications
• Legal Counsel: Legal guidance and compliance
• IT Operations: System restoration and technical support
Team Activation Criteria:
Define clear criteria for when to activate the incident response team, escalation procedures, and communication protocols. Consider time zones, availability, and skill requirements for different incident types.

Incident Classification

Learn to properly classify and prioritize incidents based on impact and severity.

Classification Factors:
• Functional Impact: Effect on business operations
• Information Impact: Confidentiality, integrity, availability
• Recoverability: Time and resources needed for recovery
• Scope: Number of systems, users, or locations affected
# Incident Classification Matrix
classification = {
  "severity_levels": {
    "critical": {
      "impact": "Severe business disruption MemoLearning Incident Response and Digital Forensics