Forensic Analysis

Short Definition

Forensic analysis investigates cyber incidents by collecting and examining digital evidence to understand the scope, impact, and root cause of an attack.

Deep Technical Explanation

Forensic analysis goes deeper than incident response. It reconstructs attacker actions, identifies how the breach occurred, and provides evidence that can be used for remediation, legal cases, or compliance reports.

Forensics Analysis includes:

1. Evidence collection
Gathering:

endpoint telemetry
file system artifacts
memory dumps
network captures
registry changes
browser artifacts
system logs
cloud audit logs

All evidence must be collected in a way that preserves the chain of custody so it remains legally valid and tamper-proof.

2. Malware analysis
Examining:

behavior
payloads
persistence mechanisms
C2 communication
obfuscation techniques

The goal is to understand what the malware does, how it spreads, and what indicators it leaves behind.

3. Timeline reconstruction
Forensic analysts rebuild:

initial access
lateral movement
privilege escalation
data exfiltration
command execution history

This includes initial access, lateral movement between systems, privilege escalation actions, data exfiltration attempts, and the complete command execution history. A detailed timeline reveals both the attacker’s intent and the progression of the compromise.

4. Root cause analysis
Determining: