How do you keep up with the latest trends and developments in memory forensics?

1 Learn the basics

Before you dive into the advanced topics and tools of memory forensics, you need to have a solid foundation of the fundamentals. You should understand how memory works, how operating systems manage memory, and how memory artifacts are generated and stored. You should also be familiar with the common memory forensics techniques, such as memory acquisition, memory dumping, memory carving, and memory mapping. You can find many online courses, books, and blogs that cover these topics, such as the Memory Forensics Training by The Volatility Foundation, the Art of Memory Forensics by Michael Hale Ligh et al., and the Memory Analysis category on the SANS Digital Forensics and Incident Response Blog.

2 Choose the right tools

Memory forensics tools are software applications that allow you to extract, analyze, and interpret memory data. There are many tools available, each with different features, capabilities, and limitations. You should choose the tools that suit your needs, preferences, and budget. Some of the most popular and widely used tools are Volatility, Rekall, WinDbg, and LiME. You should also keep an eye on the new and emerging tools, such as MemProcFS, pypykatz, and CyberChef. You can find reviews, comparisons, and tutorials of these tools on various websites, such as the Memory Forensics Tools page on the Forensics Wiki, the Memory Forensics section on the Awesome Forensics GitHub repository, and the Memory Forensics category on the Malware Unicorn Blog.

3 Practice your skills

The best way to learn and improve your memory forensics skills is to practice them on real or simulated scenarios. You can use memory samples from your own systems, or download them from public sources, such as the Memory Samples page on the Volatility GitHub repository, the Memory Forensics Challenges page on the Forensic Focus Forum, or the Memory Forensics category on the Hack The Box Platform. You can also participate in online or offline competitions, such as the Memory Forensics CTF by Magnet Forensics, the DFIR CTF by David Cowen, or the Cyber Security Challenge UK. These will test your knowledge, speed, and creativity, and give you feedback and insights from other experts.

4 Follow the experts

One of the best ways to keep up with the latest trends and developments in memory forensics is to follow the experts who are actively researching, teaching, or working in this field. You can learn from their publications, presentations, podcasts, or social media posts. Some of the most influential and respected experts in memory forensics are Michael Hale Ligh, Jamie Levy, Andrew Case, Alissa Torres, and Matt Suiche. You can find their profiles, blogs, and contact details on their personal or professional websites, such as the Volatility Labs Blog, the Memory Analysis Report Blog, the Volatility Podcast, the SANS Institute Faculty page, or the Comae Blog.

5 Join the community

Another way to keep up with the latest trends and developments in memory forensics is to join the community of practitioners, enthusiasts, and learners who share their experiences, questions, and opinions on this topic. You can interact with them on various platforms, such as online forums, mailing lists, chat groups, or social networks. Some of the most active and helpful platforms are the Volatility Users Google Group, the Memory Forensics Slack Channel, the Memory Forensics Reddit Community, the Memory Forensics Twitter List, or the Memory Forensics LinkedIn Group. You can also attend or host local or global events, such as meetups, workshops, webinars, or conferences, such as the Volatility Conference, the Open Memory Forensics Workshop, or the SANS Memory Forensics Summit.