The Two-Tool Process in Digital Forensics. Step 1 Selection

When working with data that varies as much as digital data, it is crucial to follow a structured set of steps to ensure nothing gets missed. The first of these steps is the selection of the tools you are using for the processing. 

With such a large variety of digital data available, the tool selection process will depend greatly on what type of data you seek and how much of a budget you must spend. Many organizations opt to minimize costs by relying on open-source technology for their investigative needs. However, choosing this method can result in a shortfall when it comes to finding all the critical data. To prevent missing critical data, every investigator should have a secondary tool to use to cross-validate their findings. No single tool can process and capture all the available data, nor does every tool parse the data the same way. That's why employing a two-tool process is a fundamental cornerstone in the field of digital forensics. The selection process outlined below lists steps to follow to maximize your tool selection.

Step 1. Isolate what you need to do.

What category of digital data will you be collecting? The answer to this question will help determine the type of tool needed. There are many digital forensics tools available with differing capabilities. Do you need an end-to-end solution to acquire and process data from a variety of digital devices? Is your work solely focused on the acquisition of data from mobile devices? Are you only....