Why THIS course? 

Why NOW? 

This course is designed for a wide range of individuals. It's an excellent fit for IT professionals looking to expand their knowledge in the field of digital forensics. However, it's not limited to those already in the IT industry. Individuals from other fields who have a basic understanding of cybersecurity can also greatly benefit from this course. So, whether you're an IT professional seeking to upskill, or someone interested in cybersecurity and digital forensics, this course offers valuable insights and practical skills.

Who is this course for?

• This course is designed for a wide range of individuals. It's an excellent fit for IT professionals looking to expand their knowledge in the field of digital forensics. However, it's not limited to those already in the IT industry. Individuals from other fields who have a basic understanding of cybersecurity can also greatly benefit from this course. So, whether you're an IT professional seeking to upskill, or someone interested in cybersecurity and digital forensics, this course offers valuable insights and practical skills.

What skills will you gain?

• Understanding of Digital Forensics: You'll gain a broad understanding of digital forensics, its scope, and its role in investigations.
• Data Integrity Concepts: You'll learn the basics of data integrity and how to preserve it in digital forensics.
• Evidence Handling Principles: You'll acquire knowledge of key principles for handling evidence, including chain of custody and documentation.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: You'll become familiar with the legal and ethical aspects of digital evidence handling.
• Data Acquisition and Imaging: You'll gain practical skills in acquiring and imaging data from various digital devices.
• Data Analysis and Examination: You'll learn basic techniques for analyzing and examining digital evidence.
• Anti-Forensics Techniques: You'll understand common anti-forensics techniques and how to counter them.
• Tools and Technologies: You'll be introduced to key software, hardware, and toolkits used in digital forensics.

What will you learn about? 

• Dive into the realm of digital forensics, understanding its scope and investigative relevance.
• Grasp the essence of data integrity and its preservation techniques.
• Master the principles of evidence handling, including chain of custody and documentation.
• Navigate through the legal and ethical landscape of digital evidence handling.
• Acquire and image data from various digital devices.
• Analyze and examine digital evidence, uncovering crucial insights.
• Counteract anti-forensics techniques used to obfuscate digital evidence.

What tools will you use?

• Autopsy: An open-source platform for analyzing and investigating digital evidence.
• The Sleuth Kit (TSK): A collection of command-line tools for digital forensics, including file system analysis and data carving.
• Volatility: A memory forensics framework for analyzing system memory and extracting valuable information.
• Plaso: A tool for forensic timeline analysis, correlating timestamps from various sources.
• Wireshark: A network protocol analyzer for capturing and analyzing network traffic.
• Bulk Extractor: A tool for extracting valuable information from large datasets, like hard drives or disk images.
• OSForensics: A comprehensive forensic suite for disk imaging, file analysis, and artifact searching.
• Autopsy Browser: A web-based interface for Autopsy, facilitating remote access and collaboration.

Course format: 

• Self-paced
• Pre-recorded
• Accessible even after you finish the course
• No preset deadlines
• Materials are video, labs, and text
• All videos captioned

What should you know before you join?

• Computer Systems: Basic understanding of hardware components, operating systems, file systems, and network protocols.
• Networking Concepts: Familiarity with networking fundamentals like IP addresses, TCP/IP protocols, and DNS.
• Data Storage: Knowledge of data storage devices and common file formats, along with data recovery techniques.
• Programming: Proficiency in a programming language, such as Python, for task automation and data analysis.
• Cybersecurity Concepts: Understanding of common attack vectors, malware types, and network security.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: Awareness of laws, regulations, and standards related to digital evidence and data protection.
• Critical Thinking: Strong analytical skills, logical reasoning, and problem-solving abilities.

What will you need?

• PC, tablet, smartphone
• Internet connection

This module provides an overview of digital forensics, including its definition and scope. Understanding the role of digital forensics in investigations is crucial for any professional in the field, as it forms the basis for all subsequent actions. The module also explores the legal and ethical considerations, which are essential for maintaining professionalism and integrity. The concept of data integrity in digital forensics is introduced, which is a cornerstone of ensuring the reliability and admissibility of digital evidence in court.

• Overview of digital forensics
• Role of digital forensics in investigations
• Legal and ethical considerations in digital forensics
• Concept of data integrity in digital forensics

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module delves into the concept of data integrity, a critical aspect in digital forensics. Ensuring data integrity means that the evidence remains unchanged during the investigation, which is vital for its credibility. The module also introduces the principles of evidence handling, a key skill set for any digital forensics professional to ensure that evidence is collected, preserved, and documented correctly.

• Deep dive into the concept of data integrity
• Importance of data integrity in digital forensics
• Threats to data integrity
• Techniques for ensuring data integrity
• Introduction to principles of evidence handling

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module introduces the concept of evidence handling, including the chain of custody. Understanding and maintaining the chain of custody is crucial for ensuring that the evidence can be legally and ethically used in court. The module also covers best practices for evidence collection, preservation, and documentation, which are fundamental skills for conducting thorough and reliable investigations.

• Understanding evidence handling
• Importance of chain of custody
• Best practices for evidence collection, preservation, and documentation
• Legal and ethical considerations in evidence handling

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.
The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

Knowledge of the laws and regulations related to digital evidence is essential for any digital forensics professional. This ensures that investigations are conducted within legal boundaries, and that evidence is collected and used in a manner that respects privacy and confidentiality. The module also discusses the role of expert witness testimony and courtroom presentation, skills that are invaluable when it comes to presenting and defending your findings in court.

• Overview of laws and regulations related to digital evidence
• Privacy and confidentiality considerations
• Role of expert witness testimony and courtroom presentation

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.
The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module focuses on acquisition techniques for different types of digital devices. Being able to effectively acquire data from various devices is a key skill in digital forensics, as it allows for a more comprehensive investigation. The module also covers disk imaging and verification, as well as hash functions and integrity checking, which are crucial for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the data collected.

• Acquisition techniques for different types of digital devices
• Disk imaging and verification
• Use of hash functions and integrity checking

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.

The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module delves into file system analysis, data recovery, and reconstruction techniques. These skills are essential for uncovering valuable insights from digital artifacts and can often be the key to cracking a case. The module also covers metadata analysis and interpretation, which can provide additional context and information about the digital evidence.

• File system analysis techniques
• Data recovery and reconstruction techniques
• Metadata analysis and interpretation

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.

The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module covers techniques used to obfuscate or hide digital evidence. Understanding these techniques allows digital forensics professionals to anticipate and counter attempts to tamper with or hide evidence, making their investigations more robust. The module also introduces tools and technologies for data integrity and evidence handling, which are essential for conducting efficient and effective investigations.

• Techniques used to obfuscate or hide digital evidence
• Countermeasures and detection strategies
• Tools and technologies for data integrity and evidence handling

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.

The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours

This module introduces forensic software and hardware, including digital forensic toolkits and mobile forensics tools and techniques. Familiarity with these tools and technologies can greatly enhance a digital forensics professional's ability to conduct thorough and efficient investigations.

• Overview of forensic software and hardware
• Introduction to digital forensic toolkits
• Mobile forensics tools and techniques

Quizzes will be administered at the end of each topic to help students gain maximum comprehension.

The quizzes will be multiple choice and the pass mark would typically be 75%.

Module Workload – Suggested Module Time: 3 hours