Cybersecurity forensics: what it is and how it works
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:38 am
Protecting your business from cyber attacks is no longer an option, it is a necessity. If you don't believe us, just take a quick look at the numbers:
Cybercrime increased by 72% in our country compared to pre-pandemic data recorded in 2019.
44 % of Spanish SMEs have already been victims of a cyber attack and the economic consequences can be disastrous.
The average cost of a cyber attack for a company exceeds 100,000 euros , a figure that far exceeds the world average of less than 80,000 euros ( Cyber Preparedness Report 2022 ) .
Faced with this bleak outlook, companies have only one option: to protect themselves. How? By adopting effective cybersecurity solutions designed to safeguard their computer systems and keep data safe.
But what happens if, despite all efforts, we are subject to a cyber attack? In furniture manufacturers email list in usa these situations, companies can rely on a cybersecurity forensic analysis that will allow them to identify the origin of the breach and obtain recommendations to implement measures to prevent future incidents.
In this article we want to talk to you about this discipline, which has become key in a digital environment like the current one, in which cyber threats are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to confront.
What is cybersecurity forensics? How is it performed? What is its importance? Here are the answers.
cybersecurity forensic analysis
What is computer forensics?
Cybersecurity forensics can be defined as a detailed process to detect, collect and document digital evidence following a computer security incident .
The goal of this forensic analysis is to determine the nature of the attack, identify those responsible, recover lost or stolen data, and prepare to prevent future cyberattacks.
And yes, indeed the term forensic analysis sounds like a police movie because the reality is that this process follows the same logic as a forensic investigation in criminology.
Forensic cybersecurity analysts act like detectives, analyzing clues, evidence and patterns to solve crimes, although in this case they restrict themselves to the digital realm—and do not use guns or scalpels.
This type of cybersecurity forensic analysis is applied in a multitude of scenarios such as data manipulation or theft , intrusion into computer networks, computer fraud , embezzlement , extortion or copyright infringement .
It may even be necessary in the collection of evidence and proof for legal or judicial proceedings in the context of a criminal investigation.
How is cybersecurity forensics performed?
As we have seen, cybersecurity forensics is about finding answers to critical questions after a cyberattack:
What happened.
How it happened (methods, routes…).
Who did it (identifying digital signatures or attack patterns).
How to avoid these types of malicious attacks in the future is essential.
The whole process is quite complex . Cybercrime is not easy to investigate because the crime scene exists in the digital world. In the case of theft or attacks in the offline world, physical damage is obvious.
In the digital realm, detecting this evidence is not so obvious, even more so if we take into account that, if the attack was carried out by advanced hackers, they have probably tried to hide their tracks, complicating the investigation.
For all these reasons, a forensic analysis of this type should always be carried out by cybersecurity experts who have a high level of specialization and who handle appropriate computer security tools .
They must also have a thorough knowledge of computer science, networks, communication protocols, security frameworks (such as the one developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) , programming and cryptography, as well as legislation relating to privacy and data protection.
That said, let's look at the general phases that a professional forensic analysis in the cybersecurity environment must follow to be effective.
Cybercrime increased by 72% in our country compared to pre-pandemic data recorded in 2019.
44 % of Spanish SMEs have already been victims of a cyber attack and the economic consequences can be disastrous.
The average cost of a cyber attack for a company exceeds 100,000 euros , a figure that far exceeds the world average of less than 80,000 euros ( Cyber Preparedness Report 2022 ) .
Faced with this bleak outlook, companies have only one option: to protect themselves. How? By adopting effective cybersecurity solutions designed to safeguard their computer systems and keep data safe.
But what happens if, despite all efforts, we are subject to a cyber attack? In furniture manufacturers email list in usa these situations, companies can rely on a cybersecurity forensic analysis that will allow them to identify the origin of the breach and obtain recommendations to implement measures to prevent future incidents.
In this article we want to talk to you about this discipline, which has become key in a digital environment like the current one, in which cyber threats are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to confront.
What is cybersecurity forensics? How is it performed? What is its importance? Here are the answers.
cybersecurity forensic analysis
What is computer forensics?
Cybersecurity forensics can be defined as a detailed process to detect, collect and document digital evidence following a computer security incident .
The goal of this forensic analysis is to determine the nature of the attack, identify those responsible, recover lost or stolen data, and prepare to prevent future cyberattacks.
And yes, indeed the term forensic analysis sounds like a police movie because the reality is that this process follows the same logic as a forensic investigation in criminology.
Forensic cybersecurity analysts act like detectives, analyzing clues, evidence and patterns to solve crimes, although in this case they restrict themselves to the digital realm—and do not use guns or scalpels.
This type of cybersecurity forensic analysis is applied in a multitude of scenarios such as data manipulation or theft , intrusion into computer networks, computer fraud , embezzlement , extortion or copyright infringement .
It may even be necessary in the collection of evidence and proof for legal or judicial proceedings in the context of a criminal investigation.
How is cybersecurity forensics performed?
As we have seen, cybersecurity forensics is about finding answers to critical questions after a cyberattack:
What happened.
How it happened (methods, routes…).
Who did it (identifying digital signatures or attack patterns).
How to avoid these types of malicious attacks in the future is essential.
The whole process is quite complex . Cybercrime is not easy to investigate because the crime scene exists in the digital world. In the case of theft or attacks in the offline world, physical damage is obvious.
In the digital realm, detecting this evidence is not so obvious, even more so if we take into account that, if the attack was carried out by advanced hackers, they have probably tried to hide their tracks, complicating the investigation.
For all these reasons, a forensic analysis of this type should always be carried out by cybersecurity experts who have a high level of specialization and who handle appropriate computer security tools .
They must also have a thorough knowledge of computer science, networks, communication protocols, security frameworks (such as the one developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) , programming and cryptography, as well as legislation relating to privacy and data protection.
That said, let's look at the general phases that a professional forensic analysis in the cybersecurity environment must follow to be effective.