Welcome to our Dark Data Blog. I, Rob Zirnstein, have brought back some entries that I wrote in the past, and I plan to write new posts periodically. My intent is not to fill this blog with forced weekly posts, but
The Dark Data Blog
Dark Data Dangers
If Dark Data is hidden, how can it be dangerous? How much of a threat can it possibly be? Dark Data is everywhere. It’s hidden in the firmware of the smallest devices, like survelance cameras, printers, TV streaming devices, your
What Is Dark Data?
What does Dark Data mean? We use this term on our website, as if it is obvious. In the most basic terms, Dark Data is information that is difficult to find. So, in effect it is sitting in the dark.
Dark Data Is Invading Our Lives
Recently, I’ve given some presentations on Dark Data. Back in May, I talked about “Dark Data in Live Forensics“, for the TechPoint – New Economy New Rules breakfast. Last month, I covered the topic in more detail with a presentation called, “Dark
The Push for Live Forensics
The best approach to a Digital Forensics (aka Computer Forensics or Cyber Forensics) investigation has been to perform a “Dead” analysis of the data storage devices. This requires the imaging (or copying) of hard drives, flash drives, discs, etc. for
TrueCrypt is now Detectable
Why do people encrypt their data? Well, to protect their information from getting into the wrong hands, of course. But, what if the “wrong hands” is law enforcement, the court system or even your boss? Should they have the right
Killer App: Data Wisdom
What is a Killer App. (aka Killer Application)? Wikipedia says it’s software that is so necessary, or desirable, that it drives sales of the software/hardware necessary to run it. Investopedia defines it as “a buzzword that describes a software application that
Simple Techniques That Fool Forensic Tools
If you were a criminal and wanted to hide computer evidence, how difficult could it be? Actually, you don’t even have to be a criminal, maybe you just want to hide something from a family member or your employer. Your
Data Classification and the MER Conference
Data Classification seems to mean different things to different people. In our File Investigator products, we classify each file by Platform it is typically found on (ex: Macintosh, MS Windows, Linux, …) Storage method(s) used (ex: Archive, Digital Audio, Vector,
eDiscovery vs Computer Forensics
Aren’t Electronic Discovery and Computer Forensics the same thing? Some people would say that they are, but many practitioners strongly disagree. Here are some definitions that I found for Electronic Discovery: Gartner said that “E-discovery is the production and presentation of