Learning Python for Forensics

Learn the art of designing, developing, and deploying innovative forensic solutions through Python About This Book • This practical guide will help you solve forensic dilemmas through the development of Python scripts • Analyze Python scripts to extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts • Master the skills of parsing complex data structures by taking advantage of Python libraries Who This Book Is For If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional that is seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then this book is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding of examiners who wish to learn programming What You Will Learn • Discover how to perform Python script development • Update yourself by learning the best practices in forensic programming • Build scripts through an iterative design • Explore the rapid development of specialized scripts • Understand how to leverage forensic libraries developed by the community • Design flexibly to accommodate present and future hurdles • Conduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic pre-analysis • Discover how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizations In Detail This book will illustrate how and why you should learn Python to strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. The tutorials use an interactive design, giving you experience of the development process so you gain a better understanding of what it means to be a forensic developer. Each chapter walks you through a forensic artifact and one or more methods to analyze the evidence. It also provides reasons why one method may be advantageous over another. We cover common digital forensics and incident response scenarios, with scripts that can be used to tackle case work in the field. Using built-in and community-sourced libraries, you will improve your problem solving skills with the addition of the Python scripting language. In addition, we provide resources for further exploration of each script so you can understand what further purposes Python can serve. With this knowledge, you can rapidly develop and deploy solutions to identify critical information and fine-tune your skill set as an examiner. Style and approach The book begins by instructing you on the basics of Python, followed by chapters that include scripts targeted for forensic casework. Each script is described step by step at an introductory level, providing gradual growth to demonstrate the available functionalities of Python.

About the Author :
Preston Miller is a consultant at an internationally recognized firm that specializes in cyber investigations. Preston holds an undergraduate degree from Vassar College and a master's degree in digital forensics from Marshall University, where he was the recipient of the J. Edgar Hoover Scientific Scholarship for academic excellence. While studying in a graduate school, Preston conducted classes on Python and Open Source Forensics. Preston has previously published his research on Bitcoin through Syngress. Preston is experienced in conducting traditional Digital Forensic investigations, but specializes in Physical Forensics. Physical Forensics is a subset of Digital Forensics, which involves black box scenarios where data must be acquired from a device by non-traditional means. In his free time, Preston contributes to multiple Python-based open source projects. Chapin Bryce is a professional in the digital forensics community. After studying computers and digital forensics at Champlain College, Chapin joined a firm leading the field of digital forensics and investigations. In his downtime, Chapin enjoys working on Python scripts, writing, and skiing (weather permitting). As a member of multiple ongoing research and development projects, Chapin has authored several articles in professional and academic publications.