January 25, 2019 – The Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (FNAS), at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) hosted a talk on Digital Forensics, presented by NDU Alumna Virona Nouhra. Nouhra, who did both her BS and MS in Computer Science at NDU, and her MS thesis on Digital Forensics at NDU, gave an overview of the topic, touching on the history of Digital Forensics and some techniques, but focusing more broadly on the framework of approaching Digital Forensics, and case studies.
Digital Forensics is a branch of forensic sciences that aims at investigating digital evidence found on electronic devices and the practice of extracting data from digital devices, PCs, mobile phones, Alexa, etc. in order to catch cyber criminals. It aims to identify, preserve, collect, analyze and report digital remnants.
Nouhra went over the different forms of cybercrime committed, the types of digital evidence and how to extract them from devices, and the Digital Forensic framework. She also dispelled some pervasive myths about Digital Forensics, such as the fact that it is a pro-active process – it is, in fact, a reactive action taken in response to an event or request – and that it is fast – it is a slow process, as there are often terabytes of data to sift through before useful information can be found. A short Q&A session followed Nouhra’s talk, where the tension between providing privacy and allowing law enforcement easy access to digital devices were discussed, along with the secretive nature of the field, as widely disseminated information can be easily exploited by cybercriminals.
This event is part of NDU’s continued efforts to ensure our students are well prepared for future career prospects.