William Oettinger - Learn Computer Forensics: Your one-stop guide to searching, analyzing, acquiring, and securing digital evidence, 2nd Edition

Learn Computer Forensics

Second Edition

Your one-stop guide to searching, analyzing, acquiring, and securing digital evidence

William Oettinger

BIRMINGHAMMUMBAI

Learn Computer Forensics

Second Edition

Copyright 2022 Packt Publishing

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First published: April 2020

Second edition: July 2022

Production reference: 1220722

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

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ISBN 978-1-80323-830-2

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William Oettinger is a veteran technical trainer and investigator. He is a retired police officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and a retired CID agent with the United States Marine Corps. He is a professional with over 20 years of experience in academic, local, military, federal, and international law enforcement organizations, where he acquired his multifaceted experience in IT, digital forensics, security operations, law enforcement, criminal investigations, policy, and procedure development. He has earned an MSc from Tiffin University, Ohio. When not working, he likes to spend time with his wife and his three miniature schnauzers.

This book is dedicated to IACIS and the pioneers of this field whom I have had the privilege of meeting and learning from. Mike Anderson and Will Docken were some of the first professionals I met, and they had a significant impact on me as I started in this field. I want to thank Eric Zimmerman, Harlan Carvey, Brett Shavers, and Steve Whalen for their work for the forensics community. Your information sharing and work have impacted me and helped me grow as an examiner. There is a long list of people who contributed to my success that I want to thank: Larry Smith, David Papargiris, Tom Keller, Dave McCain, Steve Williams, Scott Pearson, Scot Bradeen, Matt Presser, Mike Webber, and everyone else who has helped me along the way.

Steve Whalen is a Certified Computer Forensic Examiner (CFCE) with degrees in Psychology and Sociology and served as a Delaware State Trooper. As a state trooper, Steve worked as a detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit and served as their first full-time forensic examiner for digital evidence. Building off this experience, Steve helped the Delaware State Police develop its first High Technology Crimes Unit in 2001, where he processed thousands of electronic devices and media containing digital evidence from hundreds of cases relating to intrusion, financial crimes, child sexual exploitation, narcotics, stalking and homicides.

After retiring from law enforcement, Steve co-founded SUMURI, a leading provider of hardware, software, training and services relating to digital evidence and computer forensics worldwide. Steve was the designer of the successful Macintosh Forensic Survival Courses, RAPTOR, PALADIN, CARBON and RECON forensic software, and TALINO workstations.

Steve has developed and delivered forensic training to thousands of investigators and examiners around the world through organizations such as the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS), the High Technology Crimes International Association (HTCIA) and the US Department of State Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. Steve has over 20 years of experience in computer forensics and has provided training throughout North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Africa and Oceania.

Wanting to do more, Steve founded the non-profit company Red Stapler Inc. and used his knowledge of digital forensics, psychology, sociology to create a first of its kind software solution ( https://www.catchapredator.org/ ) to combat the sexual exploitation of children in a way that has never been done in all of history.