Customer Reviews

Computer Forensics JumpStart (Jumpstart (Sybex))

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Like the previous reviewer I agree that the book does cover a fair breadth of material but not great detail. But, as a quick search will show, there are several hundred books on the subject. Most of those books are very technical and detailed unlike this book which is a great introduction to an incredibly complex industry. If your interested in getting more information about this field before jumping in this is a must have.

The book I chose to review was a book on Computer Forensics. Computer forensics is a very helpful easy to read book on investigative techniques for corporate managers or law enforcement. Unauthorized Internet access for employees could potentially grow into a festering tumor for many employers. This book details how someone with basic computer skills could investigate a workstation to see if anything malicious has been occurring.
The authors do a splendid job of offering real work examples to show the damage of inappropriate access and use by certain individuals. The use of the Internet and emails as a method of destruction is particularly alarming. Criminals and people with a penchant for malice are using emerging and established forms of communication to pervert the original intent of creators. The examples give snap shots into the complexity of the world of 21st century crimes.
The book is does go into detail about fraud on web based commerce. Thing such as ebay and bargain shopping web sites, seem noticeably missed in the context of crimes committed. The interesting example they use is the theft of website design from one website. Criminals could then use such designs to their own professional credit. It proceeds to tell the audience how to retrace the computer footprints to determine if designs were stolen.
It surveys overall Internet issues such as domain name services and email servers. The subject matter is daunting to say in the least, but the authors keep an individual grounded in the fact they are a beginner. It gives the feel of becoming a modern Dick Tracy or Sam Spade. The section also covers encrypted passwords, which are becoming more commonplace due to online commerce.
My main criticism would be the overall simplicity the authors present when entering such a field. It almost smacks of snake oil salesmen bartering cure alls. The work seems admirable but a very vast field, which encompasses everything from the intellectual property rights of web designers to human resource managers keeping tabs on company employees. Other than those points, I would say this is a must read for anyone who plans to enter businesses, which conduct online based exchanges of information or capital. It was a real experience to discover the depth of emerging criminal conduct with technology.

There is no question that computer security and the preservation and recovery of digital data in cases where there is potential malfeasance is a valuable skill. It is also an area that requires a great deal of technical expertise, as even an inappropriate bit among billions being altered can lead to a failure. The computer that may contain the important data must have the digital contents copied in a "pure" manner and then the computer containing the memory must be stored away as evidence. Even the volatile data in the RAM may have to be archived for examination.
This book is at best a primer on how to perform computer forensics, while it does explain what the field is to those with computer experience; in many ways you get only enough information to make yourself dangerous. The fundamentals of extracting data from computers as well as a list of some of the court-approved tools is covered, but not to any depth where a person could read about them and then use them effectively. By effectively, I mean well enough to be considered an expert witness in court. The contents of this book should be considered as only a first step in several composing a journey to where you can justifiably be considered an expert in digital forensics. If kept within those parameters, then this book is a good place to begin your studies.

My Univ is using this as a textbook, and its good so far, even for an experienced computer geek like myself. It is a basic one, but I would say it sets the foundation for advanced training.

Expecting a much more in-depth look into computer forensics it self, I was introduced to the concepts and terminology leading up to Computer Forensics and some key history and facts concerning the field.

This book is a great read for those in school to become an IT professional, or new to the IT field. Anyone who has been in the field for some time may want to pass this book as a majority of basic certification tracks cover the topics in this book.

I heard this book is going to be updated and revamped this year (hopefully). My teacher recommended this book, and it's definitely worth the buy if you're interested in learning more about computers in general.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of computer forensics and demystifies what computer forensics examiners really do. It is a stimulating way in to the subject. I enjoy most reading about collecting evidence by capturing data images (e.g. creating the bit stream copy or forensic duplicate) and finding hidden data on hard disk (e.g. in file slack space, swap file, or from encrypted plain text information in digital image).

The book is well written and easy to read.
It presents a basic overview of the forensic investigation field.

Exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks to books like this and Amazon, I am now a Criminalist without being broke.