A forensic image is a bit-for-bit copy of a digital piece of evidence, typically stored on a write-protected medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD. Forensic images can be used to preserve the state of an electronic piece of evidence for future analysis, or to create a working copy of the evidence that can be manipulated without damaging the original.
What are the types of forensic images?
There are three types of forensic images:
1. Full disk images - these contain an exact copy of all data on a disk, including any deleted or hidden files.
2. Logical images - these only contain data that is visible to the user, such as files that are stored in the active file system.
3. Physical images - these are created by taking a snapshot of the entire disk, including any deleted or hidden data.
What is the difference between forensic imaging and copying?
Forensic imaging is the process of creating an exact copy of a digital device, such as a hard drive, that can be used for forensic analysis. This copy is an exact bit-for-bit copy of the original, which means that it contains all of the data, including any hidden or deleted files.
Copying, on the other hand, is the process of making a duplicate of a file or files. This duplicate can be stored on the same device or on a different one. Unlike forensic imaging, copying does not create an exact replica of the original; instead, it only copies the data that is visible to the user.
What is forensic image processing?
Forensic image processing is the application of image processing techniques to digital images for the purpose of identifying or classifying objects, people, or events. It is a branch of digital forensics, which is the study of methods for recovering and analyzing data from digital devices.
Forensic image processing can be used to enhance images for the purpose of identification, to detect and analyze textures or patterns, or to reconstruct 3D scenes from 2D images. It can also be used to create animations or simulations that illustrate how an event took place.
Common image processing techniques used in forensic image processing include image enhancement, image registration, and image analysis. Image enhancement is used to improve the quality of an image, for example by removing noise or increasing contrast. Image registration is used to align images from different sources, for example to create a composite image from multiple cameras. Image analysis is used to extract information from images, for example to identify objects or people in a scene.
Forensic image processing is an important tool for law enforcement and other agencies that need to analyze digital images for the purpose of investigating crimes or identifying individuals. It can be used to create clear and accurate images from CCTV footage, to enhance images from mobile phones or other devices, and to reconstruct 3D scenes from 2D images.
What is FTK Imager used for? FTK Imager is a computer forensics tool used for imaging and analyzing data on computers. It can be used to find and recover data that has been lost or deleted, as well as to investigate potential computer crimes. FTK Imager can create images of entire hard drives, as well as specific partitions or files. It can also be used to create images of removable media, such as USB drives and CDs. FTK Imager can be used to investigate a wide range of computer crimes, including data theft, fraud, and cyberbullying. It can also be used to find evidence of child pornography or other illegal activity.
How are digital forensic images collected? Digital forensic images are collected by taking a copy of the entire contents of a digital device, including any unallocated space. This can be done using specialist software or hardware, or by using a write-blocker to prevent changes from being made to the original device during the imaging process.