Today’s episode is all about Windows event logs that record blocked network connections. Blocked network events are interesting because they might signal that an attacker’s secondary or tertiary toolset isn’t working as intended. That’s good news from a security standpoint...

Today I cover an evolving threat in the cybersecurity world: data brokers. From a computer forensics standpoint, this threats pose unique challenges. While breaches capture headlines, data brokers play a major (and sometimes overlooked) role in fueling cybercrime. In this session, we will explore how these threats operate, why they are dangerous, and how computer forensics professionals can combat them.

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a powerful tool for assessing the severity and impact of security vulnerabilities. In digital forensics and incident response, CVSS scores can provide critical context to prioritize investigations and focus on the most significant risks. This episode I will explore how leveraging CVSS scoring enhances vulnerability assessments during incident response, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions. 

Understanding the behavior and characteristics of common file types used in attacks, such as executables, scripts, and document files, is essential for effective analysis. In this episode, we will explore practical approaches to triage malware, focusing on key indicators and techniques for prioritizing investigations. 

Windows permit events, often overlooked, offer valuable details about allowed network connections that can reveal patterns of malicious activity. In this episode, we will dive into how analyzing these events can enhance network triage, enabling security teams to detect, scope, and respond to threats more effectively. 

Security risk assessments can be a tool for guiding and prioritizing incident response investigations. By evaluating the potential impact and likelihood of various threats, these assessments provide a structured framework to identify and mitigate risks effectively. This episode will explore how integrating security risk assessments into incident response workflows enhances response strategies.

This week, we’re focusing on the Windows Prefetch artifact—a cornerstone in Windows forensics, especially for user endpoint investigations. In this episode, I’ll break down the Prefetch artifact from an investigative perspective, covering how to effectively leverage its evidence in forensic analysis. I’ll also highlight any recent changes to the artifact that may impact its value, ensuring you’re aware of everything you need to know for your investigations.

This week, we’re exploring malware triage techniques. Unlike full binary analysis, malware triage is often seen as an essential skill that every digital forensic and incident response professional should master. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the core elements of malware triage, helping you understand the various skills needed to meet industry expectations. By the end, any analyst should feel confident in examining a binary and applying these techniques to uncover potential malicious content.

This week, we’re diving into how to triage for PSEXEC evidence. PSEXEC leaves traces on both the source and target systems, making it essential to identify artifacts on each to determine whether a system was used as an attacker’s tool or was the target of an attack. While PSEXEC has somewhat fallen out of favor due to increased use of PowerShell for similar activities, it remains a commonly abused utility among attackers. In this episode, we’ll break down the key artifacts and methodologies for effective triage.

Understanding how to search for executables is a critical skill in computer forensics. There are major differences in how executables are handled between Windows and Linux systems, so techniques that work on Windows won’t always translate effectively to Linux. In this episode, I’ll break down some triage techniques to help you quickly identify suspicious executables on Linux systems.