Training Course on Digital Forensics for Archivists and Special Collections

Training Course on Digital Forensics for Archivists and Special Collections

Introduction

The rapidly expanding volume of born-digital and digitized archival collections presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities for cultural heritage institutions. As the digital landscape evolves, so too do the threats of data loss, corruption, and cyberattacks, making digital preservation a paramount concern. Training Course on Digital Forensics for Archivists and Special Collections aims to equip professionals with the essential knowledge and practical skills to identify, acquire, analyze, and preserve digital evidence from a diverse range of media. By bridging the gap between traditional archival principles and cutting-edge digital forensics methodologies, we empower archivists to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and accessibility of invaluable digital records for future generations, transforming them into proactive guardians of our collective digital heritage.

This specialized program recognizes that traditional archival training often lacks the specific technical expertise required to navigate the complexities of electronic records management and cybersecurity in a heritage context. Participants will delve into the intricacies of data recovery, metadata analysis, and chain of custody protocols, tailored specifically for the unique challenges of special collections and historical data. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and hands-on exercises, this course fosters a robust foundation in e-discovery, incident response, and long-term digital stewardship, mitigating risks and building resilience in the face of persistent digital threats.

Course Duration

10 days

Course Objectives

1. Understand core principles of long-term digital preservation, including fixity, provenance, and authenticity in a forensic context.
2. Learn techniques for forensic imaging, data acquisition, and the secure handling of digital media from diverse sources (e.g., legacy systems, portable devices, cloud storage).
3. Establish rigorous chain of custody documentation for all digital evidence to ensure its legal admissibility and evidential integrity.
4. Proficiently extract and analyze metadata (EXIF, file system, application-specific) to reconstruct timelines, establish provenance, and identify data anomalies.
5. Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard open-source and commercial digital forensics tools for data recovery, carving, and analysis.
6. Apply digital forensic principles within existing ERM frameworks and policies for effective lifecycle management of born-digital archives.
7. Develop a foundational understanding of incident response planning and initial steps for mitigating data breaches and cyberattacks on archival systems.
8. Grasp the legal and ethical considerations surrounding digital evidence, including privacy, copyright, and e-discovery compliance in a cultural heritage context.
9. Learn techniques for recovering deleted or corrupted files and restoring digital collections from various storage media.
10. Identify potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities and risks inherent in managing and preserving digital special collections.
11. Contribute to the development of digital forensics policies and best practices within archival institutions.
12. Foster effective communication and collaboration with IT and cybersecurity professionals for comprehensive digital asset protection.
13. Explore the impact of AI in digital forensics, blockchain for provenance, and other trending technologies on archival practices.

Organizational Benefits

• Proactively safeguard valuable born-digital and digitized cultural heritage against data loss, corruption, and cyber threats.
• Ensure the trustworthiness and reliability of digital collections, critical for research, legal, and historical purposes.
• Equip staff with the skills to identify vulnerabilities and respond effectively to security incidents, minimizing reputational and financial damage.
• Meet growing requirements for digital evidence preservation and e-discovery in potential legal disputes.
• Efficiently manage digital storage and access by implementing sound digital forensics and preservation strategies.
• Position the institution as a leader in digital stewardship and the ethical management of digital cultural heritage.
• Upskill archival professionals with critical 21st-century digital skills, fostering a more resilient and technologically proficient team.

Target Audience

1. Archivists & Special Collections Librarians
2. Records Managers
3. Digital Preservation Specialists
4. Curators of Digital Art & Media
5. IT Professionals in Cultural HeritageLibrarians with Digital Collections Responsibilities
6. Researchers & Academics
7. Legal & Compliance Officers in Heritage Institutions

15 Modules with 5 Bullets per Module with Case Studies

Module 1: Introduction to Digital Forensics & Archival Context

• Defining digital forensics and its relevance to archival science.
• Understanding the unique challenges of born-digital and digitized collections.
• Overview of legal and ethical considerations in digital evidence.
• Distinction between digital preservation and digital forensics.
• The evolving landscape of digital threats to cultural heritage.
• Case Study: The challenges of preserving early web archives and identifying deleted content.

Module 2: Foundations of Digital Evidence

• Types of digital evidence: volatile vs. non-volatile data.
• Understanding file systems (NTFS, FAT, HFS+, Ext) and their forensic implications.
• Introduction to data storage concepts: sectors, clusters, slack space.
• Data integrity and fixity: hashing (MD5, SHA) for verification.
• The importance of documentation in digital forensics.
• Case Study: Analyzing a compromised workstation from a special collection researcher to determine data exfiltration.

Module 3: Digital Acquisition & Imaging Techniques

• Principles of forensically sound data acquisition.
• Methods for creating bit-stream images (forensic copies).
• Tools for acquisition: FTK Imager, Guymager, dd.
• Acquiring data from various media: hard drives, USB drives, optical media.
• Live vs. dead acquisitions and their respective considerations.
• Case Study: Acquiring data from a legacy floppy disk containing early born-digital manuscripts.

Module 4: Chain of Custody & Evidence Handling

• Establishing and maintaining a robust chain of custody.
• Proper storage and transportation of digital evidence.
• Documentation requirements for every step of the process.
• Legal admissibility of digital evidence in court.
• Best practices for laboratory setup and security.
• Case Study: Tracing the chain of custody for a collection of politically sensitive emails from acquisition to archival ingest.

Module 5: File System Analysis & Data Recovery

• In-depth analysis of file system structures for hidden or deleted data.
• Techniques for recovering deleted files and fragments (file carving).
• Understanding the Recycle Bin and its forensic significance.
• Identifying and reconstructing fragmented files.
• Tools for file system analysis: Autopsy, Sleuth Kit.
• Case Study: Recovering deleted drafts of a prominent author's digital manuscripts from a reformatted hard drive.

Module 6: Metadata Forensics for Archival Context

• Types of metadata: descriptive, structural, administrative, preservation.
• Extracting and interpreting EXIF data from images and videos.
• Analyzing document metadata (Microsoft Office, PDF) for provenance.
• Timelines and event reconstruction from metadata.
• The role of metadata in authenticating digital objects.
• Case Study: Using metadata to establish the original creation date and author of a disputed digital photograph in a historical collection.

Module 7: Email & Communication Forensics

• Understanding email headers and their forensic value.
• Recovering and analyzing deleted emails.
• Forensics of instant messaging and social media data.
• Tools for email analysis: EnCase, Autopsy.
• Legal and ethical considerations in communication forensics.
• Case Study: Investigating an email correspondence within a political special collection to establish the timeline of events.

Module 8: Operating System Artifacts & Registry Analysis

• Identifying and interpreting operating system artifacts (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Analyzing the Windows Registry for user activity and system configuration.
• Browser history, downloads, and cached content analysis.
• User account forensics and login activity.
• Understanding system logs and event viewers.
• Case Study: Reconstructing user activity on an archival workstation to determine if unauthorized access to sensitive records occurred.

Module 9: Mobile Device Forensics (Introduction)

• Overview of mobile device types and operating systems.
• Challenges in mobile device data acquisition (lock screens, encryption).
• Extracting data from mobile devices: logical vs. physical acquisitions.
• Analyzing call logs, SMS, and application data.
• Tools and techniques for basic mobile forensics.
• Case Study: Acquiring and analyzing data from a period-appropriate mobile phone found within a personal papers collection.

Module 10: Network Forensics for Archival Security

• Introduction to network fundamentals and protocols.
• Identifying and analyzing network traffic patterns.
• Detecting unauthorized access and data exfiltration attempts.
• Packet analysis using Wireshark.
• Securing archival networks against common cyber threats.
• Case Study: Analyzing network logs to determine the source of a suspected ransomware attack on an institutional repository.

Module 11: Malware Analysis & Threat Detection

• Understanding different types of malware (viruses, ransomware, spyware).
• Basic principles of static and dynamic malware analysis.
• Identifying indicators of compromise (IOCs).
• Strategies for preventing malware infections in archival environments.
• Incident response for malware outbreaks.
• Case Study: Analyzing a suspicious file found in a born-digital collection to determine if it contains malicious code.

Module 12: Cloud Forensics & Digital Archiving

• Challenges and opportunities of cloud storage for archives.
• Acquiring data from cloud services (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).
• Legal and jurisdictional issues in cloud forensics.
• Securing cloud-based archival repositories.
• Forensic considerations for hybrid cloud environments.
• Case Study: Investigating data stored in a cloud-based collaboration platform used by a historical organization to uncover missing records.

Module 13: E-Discovery & Legal Holds in Archival Practice

• Introduction to e-discovery and its stages (preservation, collection, processing, review, production).
• Implementing legal holds for potentially relevant digital records.
• Role of archivists in e-discovery processes.
• Data redaction and privilege review considerations.
• Collaboration with legal counsel during e-discovery.
• Case Study: Participating in a mock e-discovery exercise related to a historical legal case, identifying relevant digital documents from an archive.

Module 14: Digital Forensics Policies & Program Development

• Developing institutional policies for digital forensics and preservation.
• Establishing a digital forensics incident response plan.
• Building a digital forensics toolkit and lab.
• Training and awareness programs for staff.
• Long-term planning for digital preservation and forensic readiness.
• Case Study: Developing a sample digital forensics policy for a hypothetical university special collections department.

Module 15: Emerging Trends & Future Challenges

• The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on digital forensics.
• Blockchain technology for provenance and data integrity.
• Forensics of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices in archives.
• Big data forensics and scalable solutions.
• The future of digital stewardship in an increasingly complex digital world.
• Case Study: Discussing the challenges and potential solutions for preserving and forensically analyzing complex interactive digital exhibits.

Training Methodology

This course employs a blended learning approach, combining theoretical instruction with extensive hands-on practical exercises and real-world case studies to ensure deep understanding and skill development.

• Interactive Lectures & Discussions: Engaging presentations followed by open forums for questions and knowledge sharing.
• Demonstrations: Live demonstrations of digital forensics tools and techniques.
• Hands-on Labs: Practical exercises using specialized forensic software and simulated digital environments. Participants will work with various forms of digital media.
• Case Study Analysis: In-depth analysis of real and hypothetical scenarios relevant to archival and special collections.
• Group Activities & Problem Solving: Collaborative tasks to reinforce learning and encourage peer interaction.
• Practical Assignments: Take-home exercises to apply learned concepts.
• Expert Guest Speakers: Insights from leading professionals in digital forensics, archival science, and cybersecurity.
• Resource Sharing: Provision of comprehensive course materials, relevant readings, and a curated list of tools and resources.

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.