Forensic Focus

Ryan joins Si and Desi to discuss his research into SS7 hacking and cell phone tracking. As someone passionate about radio technology, Ryan became interested in cell networking and eventually discovered he could intercept calls and texts by building fake cell towers. He learned that phone users have virtually no ability to opt out of their locations and identifiers being commercially available via simple API calls. Ryan hopes to put this knowledge to good use by developing a system to warn domestic abuse shelters if an offender's phone is near by tracking SS7 data. During the technical discussion, Ryan demonstrates querying an API with his own phone number to retrieve subscriber data and location. The hosts consider how individuals could possibly protect themselves from SS7 exploits, such as avoiding SMS authentication. They also discuss Ryan's other projects exploring radio hacking tools and a magazine shining light on digital counterculture topics.

Si and Desi are joined by Professor Sarah Morris, Digital Forensics Academic and Practitioner, to talk about DFIR at Southampton University, and Sarah's innovative approach to lecturing. They explore a range of topics, from electronic storage detection using robots, to strength-testing Faraday bags. They also venture into the realm of forensics in unexpected places, like unravelling mysteries hidden within a washing machine. Plus, Sarah offers a rare insider's perspective on the biometrics and forensics ethics group, an advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Home Office.

Si is joined by Martino Jerian, CEO and Founder of Amped Software, and Eugene Liscio, 3D Forensic Analyst at ai2-3D. They discuss Martino's recent presentation on video evidence principles to the European Parliament. Martino explains the difference between authenticity and integrity when it comes to video evidence, and explores the often necessary role of editing in producing a more accurate representation of reality, such as when correcting lens distortion. In this complex field, our guests emphasize the critical need for maintaining a precise, repeatable, and reproducible workflow, aligning with best practices and established guidelines. They also discuss how judges and juries can easily be mislead by expert witnesses, and the resultant importance of presenting technical information in an accurate but accessible way. Furthermore, for those curious about a career in video forensics, the trio provides practical insights into the qualifications, training, and experience that can guide you on this path. Show Notes: Video Evidence Principles: Presentation at the European Parliament - https://blog.ampedsoftware.com/2023/06/01/video-evidence-principles-presentation-at-the-european-parliament 3D Forensics | ai2-3D | Ontario - https://www.ai2-3d.com/ 3D Forensics YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@3Dforensics Digital Image Authenticity And Integrity With Amped Authenticate - https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/digital-image-authenticity-and-integrity-with-amped-authenticate/ Amped Software's Martino Jerian on Key Challenges and Opportunities for Video Evidence - https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/amped-softwares-martino-jerian-on-key-challenges-and-opportunities-for-video-evidence/ Amped Replay Explained: A Detective's Review Of The Enhanced Video Player For Forensic Investigations - https://www.forensicfocus.com/reviews/amped-replay-explained-a-detectives-review-of-the-enhanced-video-player-for-forensic-investigations/ Amped FIVE Speed Estimation 2d Filter And Training From Amped Software - https://www.forensicfocus.com/reviews/amped-five-speed-estimation-2d-filter-and-training-from-amped-software/ File Analysis And DVR Conversion Training From Amped Software - https://www.forensicfocus.com/reviews/file-analysis-and-dvr-conversion-training-from-amped-software/ Liverpool John Moores University - https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduates/2023/36596-audio-and-video-forensics-msc

Si and Desi recap the European Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Conference (EICC) 2023, which hosted a range of talks and discussions on fields related to cybersecurity. Si highlights some of the talks he found most interesting, including those on the following topics: Research conducted at the University of Kent on the prevalence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the DarkWeb, including differences between English- and Chinese-language marketplaces Tracking vehicles and anonymising personal data in a way that still allows useful statistical analysis Conversion of malware binaries into visual images, allowing for the detection of malware families and programs by visual analysis Detecting device fingerprinting on iOS with API function hooking Age classification from images, including potential challenges, theoretical uses and current accuracy levels Machine learning and cybersecurity The duo also discuss what's coming next on the Forensic Focus podcast. Show Notes: European Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Conference: https://www.fvv.um.si/eicc2023/ Proceedings of the 2023 European Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Conference: https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/3590777 Conference program: https://www.fvv.um.si/eicc2023/static/docs/EICC2023_program.pdf Improving file-level fuzzy hashes for malware variant classification: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742287619300283

Si and Desi talk to Ryan Parthemore, Product Evangelist at Cellebrite, and Robert Fried, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Forensics Investigations at Sandline Solutions. They discuss best practices and compliance frameworks to ensure the admissibility of digital evidence at trial. They highlight the foundational principles of repeatability, reproducibility, and justifiability in the field of digital forensics. Drawing on their own real-life experiences, they emphasize the importance of defensible investigations and illustrate how proper methodologies can protect the chain of custody and ensure the reliability of the digital evidence.

Si and Desi talk to Monica Harris, Project Business Manager at Cellebrite, about current eDiscovery challenges. They cover some of the reoccurring pain points customers experience during the integration stage, the difficulties of collecting mobile data for investigations, and the development of legal holds and how they influence digital forensic cases. This episode also touches on the role of machine learning in eDiscovery and how large amounts of data can be reformatted for the review stage of a case.

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Desi and Si discuss different online programming courses and what they think about the popular platform, Udemy. They also talk about Flipper, Dev boards, and Raspberry Pi, and delve into the fascinating phenomenon of running the classic game Doom on unlikely devices. Throughout the episode, Desi and Si share their digital forensics expertise, referencing some of the cases they have been working on and highlighting particular methodologies and technologies that have an impact on cybersecurity. Show Notes: 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp for 2023 - https://www.udemy.com/course/100-days... Domestika - https://www.domestika.org/en MIT OpenCourseWare - https://www.youtube.com/@mitocw MasterClass - https://www.masterclass.com/ Raspberry Pi 400 Complete Kit - https://core-electronics.com.au/raspb... Flipper Discord - https://discord.com/invite/flipper Flipper Zero - https://flipperzero.one/ This Programmer Figured Out How to Play Doom on a Pregnancy Test - https://www.popularmechanics.com/scie... Here's a dude playing Doom Eternal on his fridge - https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/13/21... Doom hacker gets Doom running in Doom - https://www.pcgamer.com/doom-hacker-g... Doom Running On A Calculator Powered By Old Potatoes - https://kotaku.com/doom-running-on-a-... GoldenEra - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11753760/ Racing the Beam - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_... High Score (TV series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Sc...) Microcontroller Courses (Udemy) - https://www.udemy.com/topic/microcont... The story of Final Fantasy XIV's renegade do-good modders - https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fantas... Logical fallacies - https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi talk to Mackenzie Jackson, Developer Advocate at Git Guardian. Mackenzie discusses the problem of hard-coded and leaked credentials in Git repositories, the task of scanning Git repositories for leaked credentials, and how that's helped by the setup of GitHub and Git. He also looks at some public and private cases of security breaches through Git repositories and recommends tools you can use to combat attackers on Git. Show Notes: Toyota Suffered a Data Breach by Accidentally Exposing A Secret Key Publicly On GitHub (GitGuardian) - https://blog.gitguardian.com/toyota-a... GitHub.com rotates its exposed private SSH key (Bleeping Computer) - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news... Conpago - https://www.conpago.com.au/ Source Code as a Vulnerability - A Deep Dive into the Real Security Threats From the Twitch Leak (GitGuardian) - https://blog.gitguardian.com/security... Teenagers Leveraging Insider Threats: Lapsus$ Hacker Group (Forbes) - https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsaye... Lapsus$: Oxford teen accused of being multi-millionaire cyber-criminal (BBC) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology... Dynamic Secrets (HashiCorp) - https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault... Crappy code, crappy Copilot. GitHub Copilot is writing vulnerable code and it could be your fault (GitGuardian) - https://blog.gitguardian.com/crappy-c... trufflesecurity/trufflehog (GitHub) - https://github.com/trufflesecurity/tr... gitleaks/gitleaks (GitHub) - https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks Git (Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git awslabs/git-secrets (GitHub) - https://github.com/awslabs/git-secrets

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi are joined by Marco Fontani from Amped Software. Together, they delve into the world of digital image forensics and discuss the use of Amped Authenticate. Amped Authenticate can be used to uncover the processing history of a digital image, helping to determine whether it can be used as reliable evidence in a court of law. Today's episode looks at the challenges involved in analysing pictures downloaded from the web or social media platforms, the impact of AI-based processing during capture on modern smartphones, and Authenticate's ability to assist with triage, allowing investigators to quickly filter through large amounts of data to find relevant evidence. Show Notes: Amped Authenticate (Amped Software) - https://ampedsoftware.com/authenticate Samsung's Moon Shots Force Us to Ask How Much AI Is Too Much (WIRED) - https://www.wired.co.uk/article/samsu... A Leak in PRNU Based Source Identification—Questioning Fingerprint Uniqueness (IEEE Xplore) - https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/... Is PRNU Camera Identification Still Reliable? Tests on Modern Smartphones Show We May Need a New Strategy! (Amped Software) - https://blog.ampedsoftware.com/2020/0... Dealing with Deepfakes (Amped Software) - https://blog.ampedsoftware.com/2021/0... NVIDIA Broadcast 1.4 Adds Eye Contact and Vignette Effects With Virtual Background Enhancements (GeForce) - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/... The Face Deepfake Detection Challenge (MDPI) - https://www.mdpi.com/2313-433X/8/10/263

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi recap the 18th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (ICCWS). Desi shares his top picks of the best talks, which explore a range of topics, from forensic investigations on Github breaches and blockchain forensics to deepfake technology and network forensics on submarines. They also take a look at LockBit ransomware investigations and examine whether or not there has been a resurgence in 'script kiddies'. Show Notes: ICCWS 2024 program: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u_ajyuxeZ5Hi-989nw50KxI5tTMnKPylhg47fVTp9pk ICCWS 2023 papers (including book): https://papers.academic-conferences.org/index.php/iccws

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi explore how artificial intelligence is being leveraged to uncover crucial evidence in investigations involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and examine the importance of exercising caution when implementing these tools. They also discuss a recent murder case in which cyber experts played a vital role in securing a conviction, and explore the unique challenges associated with using digital evidence as an alibi.

In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi explore the cutting-edge technology of deepfake videos and image manipulation. In addition to discussing the latest technological developments and efforts being made to detect manipulated media, they also examine the associated legal and ethical implications. Show notes: Boris Johnson image - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/10/spot-the-difference-boris-johnson-appears-scrubbed-from-photo-posted-by-grant-shapps Deep Fake Neighbour Wars - https://m.imdb.com/title/tt21371376/ Stalin image - https://www.history.com/news/josef-stalin-great-purge-photo-retouching Nvidia eye contact AI - https://www.polygon.com/23571376/nvidia-broadcast-eye-contact-ai and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl87WTDrReo Birthday problem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem Same frightening woman in AI images - https://petapixel.com/2022/09/09/the-same-frightening-woman-keeps-appearing-in-ai-generated-images/ Inherent mysogeny of AI portraits - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/09/lensa-ai-portraits-misogyny Midjourney - https://www.midjourney.org/ Deepfake porn legality - https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/25/23477548/uk-deepfake-porn-illegal-offence-online-safety-bill-proposal and https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/02/12/1018222/deepfake-revenge-porn-coming-ban/ AIATSIS - https://aiatsis.gov.au/cultural-sensitivity Fake tiger porn story - https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/tiger-porn-britain-law/ Group photo with no blinking - https://www.countrylife.co.uk/comment-opinion/curious-questions-group-photo-179102 Emma Watson deefake audio - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ai-4chan-emma-watson-mein-kampf-elevenlabs-9wghsmt9c Domestika - https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/981-introduction-to-interviewing-the-art-of-conversation Investigative Interviewing - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0199681899?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Forensic Focus events calendar - https://www.forensicfocus.com/events/ Si Twitter - https://twitter.com/si_biles

In this episode, Si and Desi talk to Matt Suiche from Magnet Forensics about the rise of e-crime and info stealers. They look at the latest shifts in how cybercriminals are operating, with a lot of ransomware gangs now moving towards hacking, stealing, extortion and leaking documents, rather than blindly encrypting files. They also examine the importance of memory forensics in trying to detect active threats within a network, and how ChatGPT – a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November last year – could be leveraged to create functioning malware. Want to hear more from Matt? You can check out Matt's presentation "Know When to Seek Help for Memory Loss" at both the Magnet Virtual Summit and the Magnet User Summit in 2023 (register at magnetvirtualsummit.com or magnetusersummit.com). Show notes: dumpIT - http://www.toolwar.com/2014/01/dumpit-memory-dump-tools.html comae - https://www.comae.com/dumpit/ Matt's wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Suiche VMWare acquires CloudVolumes - https://blogs.vmware.com/euc/2014/08/cloudvolumes.html Vitali Kremex - https://twitter.com/vk_intel?lang=en ChatGPT - https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ Magnet Virtual Summit - https://magnetvirtualsummit.com/ Magnet User Summit - https://magnetusersummit.com/

Just like your current holiday shopping for last minute presents a lot of the good stuff has gone off the shelves already. You reach to the back and find the toy nobody really wanted but it's the thought that counts, you stare down at Si and Desi's Holiday Special 2022 podcast. Please join these two as they lament over the year that was, discuss all the things they didn't do but promise they will do them next year, query whether putting a NAS in the storage of a roller door is a good idea, and finally arrive at what they're looking forward to bringing you in the new year. Show Notes: Arduino PLC IDE - https://docs.arduino.cc/software/plc-ide Mycroft Mark II (open source Alexa) - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aiforeveryone/mycroft-mark-ii-the-open-voice-assistant Christa's new blog - https://christammiller.com/ Si's holiday reading - https://amzn.to/3iJyGrR Desi's holiday reading - https://inteltechniques.com/ Strange event for the end of the year - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/25-suspected-members-german-far-right-group-arrested-raids-prosecutors-office-2022-12-07/ Si's wishful thinking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXnRgXclLd0 Si's list to do before the EOY - https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-4x5-camera Desi's list to do before EOY - https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-reset-your-phone-before-you-sell-it/ "Cleaning your office" - https://www.manfrotto.com/uk-en/vintage-collapsible-1-5-x-2-1m-ink-sage-ll-lb5720/ Conference recorder - https://amzn.to/3UBmre5 Desi's blog - https://www.hardlyadequate.com/

The investigation of child exploitation is a delicate balance between rescuing children, ensuring perpetrators are correctly identified, and safeguarding investigator mental health. This week on the Forensic Focus podcast, Christa and Si are with Cyacomb, talking digital forensics with: Jeffrey Bell, Customer Success Manager; Alan McConnell, Head of Customer Success; and Brandon Gardner, Program Manager.

As digital forensics decentralizes, shifting more responsibilities from lab to field personnel, tools that can manage the evidence from different user groups are ever more important. In this episode, Christa and Si talk with Andrew Lister, Managing Director at Detego Global, about interoperability between field and lab. They discuss Detego's significant post-pandemic growth, what it is about interoperable frontline and lab tools that other solutions miss, and the biggest challenges when adapting a military field tool to more regulated environments. To read Andy's previous interview with us, visit https://www.forensicfocus.com/interviews/andy-lister-global-business-development-director-detego.

This week, Christa and Si talk with Cyacomb's Graham Little and Mike Burridge about the technology it takes to identify child sexual abuse and terrorist imagery, on both devices and the online world. The balance between public safety and privacy is discussed, along with challenges faced by both social media providers preventing imagery from being shared, and law enforcement investigating the perpetrators. Also described: technological challenges and what they mean for investigations and prosecutions, including the need for training and education of users; and new developments coming from Cyacomb.

In this episode, Detective Lee Bieber of the Plantation Florida Police Department and the FBI's Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force in Miami talks with podcast host Christa Miller about his background, the trends he's noticed in criminal use of digital technology, and the artifacts that make up the elements of a statutory crime. Also discussed: putting digital artifacts together into a picture using various forensic tools, and the tool that helps him most in his investigations.

You can't put a price on bants! Friends and enemies welcome as this week Christa, Si, and Desi recap HTCIA and DFRWS. Deep dive into ticket prices and accessibility. Wonder whether there is innovation in the vendor space. Consider running their own virtual Forensic Focus conference in 2023. They briefly touch on neurodiversity, potential guests, and we all get treated to Si's long preamble and and slightly shorter outro. Show Notes: DFRWS APAC 2022 Program - https://dfrws.org/apac-2022-program/ BSides AUS - https://www.bsidesau.com.au/ BSides UK - https://www.securitybsides.org.uk/# HTCIA - https://htcia.org/ Heather Mahalik's talk on verifying evidence CYACOMB Prioritizing time sensitive investigations with Rapid Digital Triage - Alan McConnell Hansken Forensics - https://www.hansken.nl/ Velociraptor - https://www.rapid7.com/products/velociraptor/ Sydney Declaration IAFS 2023 - https://iafs2023.com.au/sydney-declaration/

This week, Si and Christa talk with James Eichbaum, global training manager at MSAB, about: The technical and procedural challenges that students bring to class that inform R&D and, in turn, training. The importance of training to thorough, forensically sound examinations, as well as to educating managers and other stakeholders on why thoroughness is important. As well, the need and ability for examiners to be able to articulate their own processes in a rapidly changing field. Training for different levels of personnel, from frontline officers all the way up to the lab. How the COVID-19 pandemic affected training course design and delivery. Some of the new things to look out for in both products and training from MSAB. Show Notes: Our previous interview with James: https://www.forensicfocus.com/interviews/james-eichbaum-global-training-manager-msab/ Our interview with Matthew Sorell on mobile device forensics: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/university-of-adelaides-dr-matthew-sorell-on-evidentiary-health-data-at-dfrws-apac-2022/ The FORMOBILE project: https://www.formobile-project.eu/ MSAB training: https://www.msab.com/training-overview/

In this episode, Desi and Si talk with Alex Tilley, who's part of the counter threat unit at Secureworks, as a followup to Alex's presentation on the history of financial cybercrime. Show Notes: The business club writeup from 00:18:25 https://www.secureworks.com/research/evolution-of-the-gold-evergreen-threat-group Fast-flux and round robin DNS Anti-money laundering legislation https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/other-legislation/anti-money-laundering#:~:text=The%20Anti%2DMoney%20Laundering%20and,sector%2C%20gambling%20sector%2C%20remittance%20( Operation Tovar https://www.secureworks.com/blog/operation-tovar-dell-secureworks-contributes-to-efforts-targeting-gameover-zeus-and-cryptolocker SMBiT Pro - Presenting Gold Coast end of October https://www.smbitpro.org/ ISACA - CBR Conference https://engage.isaca.org/canberrachapter/events/eventdescription?CalendarEventKey=29ea5d1c-5ee0-4bd7-b4ce-e591603ba8b3&CommunityKey=43346d1e-8e11-443a-bfa6-93582a92ad0f&Home=%2Fmelbournechapter%2Fevents%2Fcalendar

In this episode, Steve Slater, Head of Digital Forensics at Devon and Cornwall Police in the United Kingdom, gives Christa and Si an overview of implementation the new Rape and Serious Sexual Offence protocol: How digital forensics technology supplements a victim-centred, team approach Differences between victim and suspect acquisition processes What goes into balancing victim care with a forensically sound data collection How the protocol continues to adapt to the times: not just in terms of technology, but also in recruiting representative personnel and supporting their mental health Pandemic-era processes and procedures Further reading: https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/metropolitan-police-service-and-crown-prosecution-publish-review-r-v-allan https://ico.org.uk/

Following on their "unsupervised" discussion, this week Si and Desi focus on training and certification, including: Steps and missteps in commercial and government efforts to close the cyber skills gap through training and professional development The value of perspectives from different fields to digital forensics and incident response The shortcomings of certifications as measures of proficiency, and the need to teach a foundation of how to learn, not just pass certification exams Alternatives to certifications, such as chartered professionals, CTFs and coursework with practical elements The need for mentors to help develop professionals CyberCX Academy announcement: https://news-events.cybercx.com.au/cybercx-academy-launched-to-help-solve-cyber-skills-crisis Marketing fail: UK government criticised for 'crass' ad advising ballerina to retrain in IT: https://www.netimperative.com/2020/10/13/marketing-fail-uk-government-criticised-for-crass-ad-advising-ballerina-to-retrain-in-it/ Distant Traces and Their Use in Crime Scene Investigation: https://www.forensicfocus.com/webinars/distant-traces-and-their-use-in-crime-scene-investigation/ Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre: https://www.cybercollaboration.org.au/ dfrws.org

In this episode, Si and Christa talk with Martino Jerian, founder and CEO of Amped Software, about: Some of the misunderstandings around digital video and image evidence and how this can affect justice proceedings Technical challenges associated with evidentiary integrity and authenticity of data which is based on complex mathematics The need for better trained, qualified analysts in multiple dimensions of multimedia forensics, including file formats, processing, and metrology specialisms As well, the need for awareness-building among nontechnical stakeholders in policymaking

In this episode recorded in July, Si and Desi take advantage of Christa's absence to pepper up their speech (but only just a bit). Content warnings aside, this week their free-form conversation discusses: Public speaking, whether giving evidence on the stand, presenting to stakeholders following an incident response, or delivering training materials The relative benefits of unscripted interactions vs. scripted material, depending on audience How pandemic-driven modalities affected speaking delivery (and even job interviews) in terms of nonverbal (body) language, with and without cameras Presentation material creation tools The need for, and difficulty of, getting good feedback There's also a preview of their upcoming conversation on training and certification.

Si and Christa talk with Pablo Lopez Aguilar-Beltran about Project LOCARD, its purpose, and how it all go started, including: Why blockchain could be the foundation for improving international cooperation while maintaining compliance with privacy and other legal requirements Challenges associated with standardizing any platform across borders, as well as fostering implementation and participation The need for better digital evidence literacy among lawyers and judges, even as the digital aspects of crime accelerate past governments' abilities to legislate and enforce laws

In this episode, co-hosts Desi, Si, and Christa compare and contrast the concerns and pressures of the DFIR world vs. other industries. Starting with burnout as a function of increases in both cyber incidents and online crime, we also discuss: - The risks of backfilling gaps in cyber without computer science fundamentals. - More work and fewer resources leading to backlogs, which factor in burnout and resignations as well as actions like the UK barristers' strike. - The importance of mentorship, representation, and manager training to facilitate strong team dynamics and mitigate risks.

In this episode, Desi, Si, and Christa talk with Dr. Sorell about health data as a source of evidence in criminal investigations, as well as a sneak peek of what to expect at Sorell's student-led workshop and Rodeo competition at the upcoming DFRWS-APAC conference. Some of the technical vagaries, including GPS, time zone, and Apple updates, that can affect both investigations and workshop planning are discussed, along with the importance of other disciplines (geekery) to digital forensics beyond digital forensics.

In this episode, University College Dublin's Prof. Liliana Pasquale, program director for the new Master of Science in Cybersecurity, talks with Christa Miller about how the program came to be, some of the modules and the way they're structured, and what makes this program stand out from others. Also discussed is the need for a balance between academic research and practitioner perspectives, how "soft" skills lay a foundation for more technical skills, and the program's major advantages to prospective students.

Kyle Campbell, Vice-President of Litigation Support at Frontline Managed Services, joins Christa Miller to talk through the breakdown of silos between digital forensics, e-discovery, and incident response, and the continued increases in complexity and interconnectivity of data sources as well as the impact of data privacy laws and evolving case law on preservation and collection. To collaboratively solve problems and add value and insights to clients and courts in this landscape, e-discovery and digital forensics professionals need technical and communication skills in information governance, data privacy, and data security -- and the ability to explain them clearly and simply.

Broadening our podcast horizon to include more technical and global perspective, we welcome Alex Desmond, an incident response / insider threat specialist in Australia, and Si Biles, an independent digital forensics analyst in the United Kingdom. This week, we talk about the challenges around entering and keeping up to date with a career in digital technology. Cloud systems are a particular focus, in terms of both investigations and usage, and the kinds of unanswered questions we can face as practitioners and citizens. As well, we discuss the human factors associated with cybersecurity and investigations.

Podcast host and Forensic Focus managing editor Christa Miller talks with Monica Harris, Cellebrite's Enterprise Solutions product business manager, about the overlap in e-discovery, corporate investigation, and incident response skills and tools; proportional collections in remote and hybrid work environments; some of the technological challenges with remote cloud collection and creating a 360-degree view of data, and how Cellebrite Enterprise Solutions make the process smoother.

Capacity building for digital forensics is defined as the development of new professionals and better equipped work environments, particularly as the digital forensics industry struggles to keep pace with the way technology, and the trace evidence it creates, become more ingrained in our lives. With the Forensic Focus podcast to talk about capacity building in India is Santosh Khadsare, a career cyber forensics and security expert working with Indian government and law enforcement for the past two decades.

This episode follows up our 2021 article about #DFIRfit and its #DFIRforGood fundraising efforts. We start by talking about the #Bricks4Codebreakers effort, a little of what it was like to work at Bletchley Park during World War II, and how the women and men who staffed the facility blazed a trail not only for digital forensics as a profession, but also for the industry's current-day diversity, inclusion and equity efforts.

Coauthors of a new paper discuss: "Expertise" as a function of trial strategy The necessity for practitioners to determine -- and communicate -- their own knowledge and limitations thereof Where "expertise" actually comes from: the work that makes it evidenceable in terms of quality more than quantity

This week we explore research showing how bias can affect decision making in digital forensics. PhD fellow Nina Sunde joins us from Norway to discuss how practitioners think about interpretation of data, mental blind spots, and error. We talk about practical implementation measures for error mitigation, including peer review. And we discuss the need for additional practice-oriented research to determine the most effective bias mitigation measures for digital forensics, how to help non-practitioners -- especially legal experts and jurors -- to understand digital forensics processes, and how viewing error as a friend could help mitigate both technical and human error.

In this episode, we answer the question: "Does every phone need to come to the digital forensics lab?" and discuss the ongoing challenges associated with frontline forensics. Simon tells us how he consults with clients to work through their needs and offer custom network and design workflows according to multiple parameters, including regulatory ones. Finally, we discuss the balance between national security and human rights, and how frontline mobile forensics supports that balance.

In this episode, we highlight some of the hidden barriers to digital forensics professionals' ability to use their skills to help victims of stalking and domestic violence: how abuse dynamics keep victims from reporting to police, how police and courts can actually fuel the problem, and how emotionally difficult offering assistance can be. At the same time, though, the work can be deeply rewarding, and Eva offers a few resources for educating yourself on how these dynamics work.

The Forensic Focus podcast sits down with Ali Hadi, founder of Cyber5W, and Jessica Hyde, founder of Hexordia, to talk about the need for well prepared, professional digital forensics and incident response practitioners, and how the partnership between their two companies aims to bring digital forensics training to everyone who wants it at an affordable price.

Mason Toups, a DFIR analyst with Sola Security, and Emre Tinaztepe, founder and CEO of Binalyze, join host Christa Miller to talk about the essential elements of incident response, the human factors that are often at the root of a cyber incident, threat actors' own psychology, and how easier communication between responders can facilitate security operations for all.

Trufflepig Forensics Co-founders Aaron Hartel and Christian Müller join us to talk about how they got started, the challenges encountered by law enforcement and other incident responders dealing with memory forensics, and how their team's Nexus software aims to solve those challenges.

University lecturer Jade James talks about her career path from digital forensics lab work into academia, including why pursuing a Master's degree has been crucial to her professional growth, some of the personal obstacles she overcame to earn it, and her current role as a lecturer teaching university students.

Dr. Steven Boyce, Director of the Magnet Forensics Digital Investigation Suite (MDIS), describes collaborative evidence review for non-technical investigators, automation, and centralized case data management -- along with the new skills needed to support them.

Covered in this episode are: Generalist vs. specialist DFIR pros The need for training and awareness across a wider pool of people -- as well as openness to a variety of backgrounds and redefining what a "good candidate" looks like Ways for job-hunters to optimize their LinkedIn profile and networking efforts