How can you preserve digital evidence for a data breach investigation?

1 Identify the sources of evidence

The first step in preserving digital evidence is to identify the sources of evidence that are relevant to the data breach. These sources may include your devices, systems, applications, networks, or cloud services that store or process your data. You should also consider any external sources of evidence, such as third-party vendors, partners, or customers that may have been involved or affected by the breach. You should create a list of all the sources of evidence, their locations, and their owners or custodians.

2 Isolate the evidence

The next step in preserving digital evidence is to isolate the evidence from any further access, modification, or deletion. This can help you prevent the evidence from being tampered with, overwritten, or corrupted by the attackers or by your own actions. You should disconnect the affected devices or systems from the network, lock the physical access to them, and disable any remote access or backup functions. You should also document the state of the evidence, such as the date and time of the last access, the file names and sizes, and the hash values or checksums.

3 Collect the evidence

The third step in preserving digital evidence is to collect the evidence using appropriate tools and methods. You should use forensically sound tools that can create exact copies or images of the original evidence, without altering or damaging it. You should also follow a chain of custody protocol that can track the handling and transfer of the evidence, from the source to the destination. You should label, seal, and store the evidence in a secure location, and maintain a log of all the actions and events related to the evidence.

4 Analyze the evidence

The fourth step in preserving digital evidence is to analyze the evidence using specialized software and techniques. You should use a separate system or environment that can protect the evidence from contamination or interference. You should also use a variety of tools and methods that can extract, recover, interpret, and correlate the data from different sources and formats. You should document your findings and conclusions, and report any anomalies, indicators, or patterns that can help you understand the nature and extent of the data breach.

5 Preserve the evidence

The fifth step in preserving digital evidence is to preserve the evidence for a long-term period or until the investigation is completed. You should follow the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to your organization and your industry, regarding the retention and disposal of digital evidence. You should also ensure that the evidence is stored in a safe and secure manner, that can prevent any unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction. You should also review and update the evidence periodically, and verify its integrity and validity.

6 Share the evidence

The final step in preserving digital evidence is to share the evidence with the relevant parties or authorities that are involved or interested in the data breach investigation. You should follow the ethical and professional standards that govern the disclosure and exchange of digital evidence. You should also respect the confidentiality and privacy of the data and the individuals that are affected by the breach. You should provide the evidence in a clear and comprehensible format, and explain the methods and procedures that you used to preserve and analyze it.