Computer Forensics Software

Forensic Duplicator

Forensics Duplicator

A forensics duplicator, also known as a forensics cloning tool, is a software application that makes an exact copy of data present on a digital medium. This is not just a copy; it is an exact duplicate of the data in the same kind of format. In fact, the duplication is so perfectly done with these software tools that the duplicate medium obtained is called as a mirror of the original medium.

These computer forensics are most important in investigative purposes. Duplicates of disks can be used for evidencing. In most cases, there will be attempts to restore data from the original medium. This will cause some changes to occur on the original medium due to which it might become invalid for criminal evidencing. To avoid such an eventuality, forensic officers will make a clone and then give it a date and time stamp and a cryptographic hash. This serves to identify when the duplicate was made and the cryptographic hash ensures that the data on the disk was not changed after the date the clone was made.

There are three main steps in computer forensic - the accumulation of data, the preservation of the data and the analysis of the data. The intention is to find any shred of evidence that might help to solve some investigative matter. Seeing their great importance to society, it is easy to understand why the forensics duplicator jobs are considered to be one of the most lucrative careers. There are many programs where people are taking up these courses online or in physical classes. Once the training course is completed, these young men and women apply for good jobs in investigative departments. The lucre of the job is what is attracting more and more people to it in today's times.

There are two terms involved in forensics duplication that you must know of, if you are planning to take up this profession. These terms are not mutually exclusive; in fact, in most cases, they go hand in hand.

1. Disk Cloning - When a digital media is cloned, the forensics duplicator is actually making a complete copy of the disk. There is virtually no difference in the data within the mirror and the original. Changes in both of them can be made effectively. The originals are preserved with cryptographic hashes.

2. Disk Imaging - This also makes a copy of the disk, but not in the original data format. Here, the copy is made as an image file. The image file is like a captured screenshot of the data that is present and can be saved in various formats. For evidencing purposes, disk duplicator images are more admissible in the law because once made, they cannot be tampered with.

Apart from the criminal evidencing requirements, forensics duplicator applications are also used in data recovery. If data on a particular medium has become corrupt or unavailable, duplicators can be used to retrieve them. This is a better used option nowadays because working with the damaged medium in an attempt to recover data will only compound the damage further and make the data more irretrievable.

Computer Forensics Software >> Privacy Policy