Purpose
The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity for students to apply forensic investigation
competencies gained throughout this course.
Required Source Information and Tools
The following tools and resources will be needed to complete this project:
▪ Course textbook
▪ Internet access
▪ Computer with Paraben P2 Commander or another forensic software (like Autopsy) installed
▪ Outlook.pst (an e-mail archive used in Project Part 2)
▪ Mac OS JSmith.img (a Mac OS X image file used in Project Part 3)
Note: The above-referenced files for Parts 2 and 3, as well as access to P2 Commander, are available in
Lab 1: Applying the Daubert Standard to Forensic Evidence. To access the files, launch the lab and
navigate to C:\ISSA_TOOLS\ForensicTools\Forensic2e_lab. (Files will also be provided in a shared
Google Drive folder) Check with your instructor if you do not have access to Paraben P2 Commander.
You may be able to download a trial version or use other software, such as Paraben EMX, Autopsy,
Forensic Toolkit (FTK ) or EnCase Forensic to complete this project.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
You will:
• Explain the rationale for computer forensic activities.
• Explain computer forensic investigation procedures.
• Evaluate sources of evidence.
• Analyze laws related computer forensics.
• Apply tools used in forensic investigations.
• Analyze digital evidence.
• Report findings.
• Assess business considerations related to computer forensic investigations.
Deliverables
Part 1: Preparing for a Forensic Investigation
Part 2: Analyzing an E-mail Archive for an Electronic Discovery Investigation
Part 3: Analyzing Evidence from Mac OS XProject:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 2
Part 1: Preparing for a Forensic Investigation
Scenario
You are an employee at D&B Investigations, a firm that contracts with individuals, companies, and
government agencies to conduct computer forensics investigations. D&B employees are expected to
observe the following tenets, which the company views as the foundation for its success:
• Give concerted attention to clients’ needs and concerns.
• Follow proper procedures and stay informed about legal issues.
• Maintain the necessary skill set to apply effective investigative techniques using the latest
technologies.
Your manager has just scheduled a meeting with an important prospective client, and she has asked you
to be part of the team that is preparing for the meeting. The prospective client is Brendan Oliver, a
wellknown celebrity. Last night, Mr. Oliver’s public relations team discovered that someone obtained three
photos that were shot on his smartphone, and tried to sell the photos to the media. Due to the sensitive
nature of the photos, Mr. Oliver and his team have not yet contacted law enforcement. They would like to
know if D&B can provide any guidance or support related to the investigation—or, at the very least, if
D&B can help them prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. At this time, they do not know
how the photos were acquired. The public relations team is wondering if a friend, family member, or
employee could have gained direct access to Mr. Oliver’s phone and obtained the photos that way,
although the phone is usually locked with a passcode when Mr. Oliver is not using it. In addition, Mr.
Oliver e-mailed the photos to one other person several months ago; he has not spoken with that person
in the last few weeks, but he does not believe that person would have shared the photos with anyone
else.
Your manager plans to use this initial meeting with Mr. Oliver and his public relations team to establish
rapport, learn more about the case, and demonstrate the firm’s expertise. The company sees this as an
opportunity to build future business, regardless of whether they are retained to help with the investigation
of this case.
Tasks
To help the team prepare for the meeting, your manager asks you (and your colleagues) to consider and
record your responses the following questions:Project:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 3
• What is the nature of the alleged crime, and how does the nature of the crime influence a
prospective investigation?
• Based on the limited information provided in the scenario, what is the rationale for launching an
investigation that uses computer forensic activities? Would D&B and/or law enforcement need
additional information in order to determine if they should proceed with an investigation? Why or
why not?
• What would you share with the client about how investigators prepare for and conduct a computer
forensics investigation? Identify three to five key points that are most relevant to this case.
• What sources of evidence would investigators likely examine in this case? Provide concrete
examples and explain your rationale.
• What should the client, investigators, and others do—or not do—to ensure that evidence could be
used in a court of law? Using layman’s terms, explain laws and legal concepts that should be
taken into account during the collection, analysis, and presentation of evidence.
• What questions and concerns do you think the client will have?
• What questions should the team ask the client to learn more about the case and determine the
next steps?
Required Resources
▪ Course textbook
▪ Internet access
Submission Requirements
▪ Format: Microsoft Word (or compatible)
▪ Font: 12-Point, Double-Space
▪ Citation Style: Follow your school’s preferred style guide
▪ Length: 2–3 pages
Self-Assessment Checklist
▪ I have effectively documented the causes for investigation.
▪ I have effectively documented key points related to the collection, analysis, and presentation of
computer forensic evidence.
▪ I have successfully identified potential sources of evidence.
▪ I have summarized laws and legal concepts that apply to this case.Project:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 4
▪ I have created a professional, well-developed report with proper documentation, grammar,
spelling, and punctuation.
Part 2: Analyzing an E-mail Archive for an Electronic Discovery Investigation
Scenario
D&B is conducting a very large electronic discovery (eDiscovery) investigation for a major client. This
case is so large that dozens of investigators and analysts are working on specific portions of the evidence
in parallel to save time and improve efficiency.
Since this is the first time you will be working on this type of investigation for D&B, your manager gives
you a “test” (a sample e-mail archive) so she can assess whether you need additional training before you
begin working with the rest of the team on the eDiscovery case. Your manager tells you that this archive
was extracted from a hard drive image marked “suspect,” but at present nothing more is known about the
user. She expects you to examine the archive and document all findings that might be of interest to a
forensic investigator. She explains that she will use your report to evaluate your investigation skills, logic
and reasoning abilities, and reporting methods.
Tasks
• Review the information about e-mail forensics and the Paraben P2 Commander E-mail Examiner
feature in the chapter titled “E-mail Forensics” in the course textbook.
• Using the P2 Commander E-mail Examiner, create a case file, select Add Evidence, and import
the e-mail archive (filename: Outlook.pst). P2 Commander will automatically begin sorting and
indexing if you choose that option.
• Search for information about the user; your goal is to learn as much as possible about who the
user is and what he or she has been doing. You may find evidence in the inbox or other
mailboxes. You can use the software features to help you keep track of the evidence you identify,
for instance, by bookmarking sections of interest and exporting attachments.
• Write a report in which you:
o Document your investigation methods.
o Document your findings. Explain what you found that may be of interest to a forensic
investigator, and provide your rationale for including each selection.Project:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 5
Required Resources
▪ Course textbook
▪ Outlook.pst file (e-mail archive)
▪ Internet access
Submission Requirements
▪ Format: Microsoft Word (or compatible)
▪ Font: 12-Point, Double-Space
▪ Citation Style: Follow your school’s preferred style guide
▪ Length: 1–2 pages
Self-Assessment Checklist
▪ I have applied appropriate evidence collection and handling methods.
▪ I have correctly identified and analyzed evidence that is relevant to the investigation.
▪ I have created a professional, well-developed report with proper documentation, grammar,
spelling, and punctuation.Project:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 6
Part 3: Analyzing Evidence from Mac OS X
Scenario
Two weeks ago, D&B Investigations was hired to conduct an incident response for a major oil company in
North Dakota. The company’s senior management had reason to suspect that one or more company
employees were looking to commit corporate espionage. The incident response team went on-site, began
monitoring the network, and isolated several suspects. They captured forensic images from the machines
the suspects used. Now, your team leader has asked you to examine a forensic image captured from a
suspect’s computer, which runs the Mac OS X operating system. The suspect’s name is John Smith, and
he is one of the company’s research engineers.
Tasks
• Review the information on the Mac OS X file structure provided in the chapter titled “Macintosh
Forensics” in the course textbook.
• Using Paraben P2 Commander, create a case file and add the image the incident response team
captured (filename: Mac OS JSmith.img).
• Sort and review the various directories within the Mac OS X image. Look for evidence or
indicators that John Smith was or was not committing corporate espionage. This may include
direct evidence that John Smith took corporate property, as well as indirect evidence or indicators
about who the suspect is and what his activities were during work hours. You can use the
software features to help you keep track of the evidence you identify, for instance, by
bookmarking sections of interest and exporting files.
• Write a report in which you:
o Document your investigation methods.
o Document your findings. Explain what you found that may be relevant to the case, and
provide your rationale for each item you have identified as an indicator or evidence that
John Smith was or was not committing corporate espionage.
o Analyze the potential implications of these findings for the company and for a legal case.
Required Resources
▪ Course textbook
▪ Mac OS JSmith.img
▪ Internet accessProject:
Forensic Investigation
© 2015 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved.
www.jblearning.com Page 7
Submission Requirements
▪ Format: Microsoft Word (or compatible)
▪ Font: 12-Point, Double-Space
▪ Citation Style: Follow your school’s preferred style guide
▪ Length: 2–4 pages
