Notes - MCS
Computer Systems Forensic Analysis
Notes - MCS
Computer Systems Forensic Analysis
  • Computer Systems Forensic Analysis
  • Overview of Cybercrime
    • Cyberspace
    • Information Security Principles
    • Cybercrime vs. Computer Crime
    • Cybercrime slang
      • Images
    • Digital Evidence
  • Introduction to Digital Forensics
    • Concepts
    • Digital Forensic
    • Digital Investigation
    • Digital Crime Scene Investigation Methodology
    • Digital Evidence Handling
    • Ethical Code
  • Obtaining Evidences
    • Introduction
    • Boot Process
    • Secuere Boot Process
    • Windows Boot Process
    • Forensic Boot Tools
    • Bootable CD-ROMS - Linux Based
    • ADS
    • Forensic Sorting Tools
    • Forensic Acquisition
    • Dealing With Media Errors
    • Hidden Areas
    • Write Protection of Evidence Media
    • Storing Acquired Data
    • Image File Acquisition
    • Hash Values
  • Data Organization
    • Data Organization
    • File System
    • File Content
    • Endianness
    • Character Encoding
    • Data Structures
    • Date and Time
    • Encoding
  • Storage Devices
    • BIOS versus direct access
    • Hard Disk Geometry
    • Advanced Technology Attachment Interface
      • Device Configuration Overlay
    • Small Computer Systems Interface
    • NAND Flash memory
    • Level wearing
    • HDD vs SSD
    • Pen USB vs SSD Comparison
    • SSD Connectors, Interfaces, and Transfer Protocols
  • Volumes and Partitions
    • Concepts
    • Partition Tables
    • Sectors Addresses
    • Logical addresses
    • Volume Analysis
    • Types of Partition Tables
    • Common Partition Tables (MBR)
    • Boot Code
    • MBR examination
    • Removable Storage
    • Common Partition Tables (GPT)
    • Common Partition Tables (BSD)
    • Volumes’ Aggregation
  • RAM Analysis
    • RAM Analysis
    • General Computer Architecture
    • DMA – Direct Memory Access
    • Paging
    • Memory Acquisition
  • Mobile Forensics
    • Forensic value of phones
    • International Mobile Equipment Identifier
    • Potential Evidence
    • Forensics Dangers
    • Data Acquisition
    • Logical acquisition
    • Physical acquisition
    • Hashing
    • Software tools
  • Open Source INTelligence
    • Classical sources of information and intelligence
    • Evolution of OSINT - Open Sources Intelligence
    • Information sources
    • Closed source of information
    • Open sources
    • Information to Intelligence Cycle
    • Skills of the Analyst
    • Open Source Possibilities
    • Automated Processing
    • DarkNet
  • Documentation and Reporting
    • Introduction
    • Physical examination
    • Examining a computer
    • Media Examination
    • Examples of things to write in the report
    • Forensic Report
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  • Steps
  • Boot code characteristics
  • Systems with BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
  1. Obtaining Evidences

Boot Process

Steps

Most systems have 2 phases:

  1. configure and start the hardware.

  2. find the operating system and run it.

Boot code - machine instructions used by the computer.

When it is starting, power is applied to a CPU:

  • it reads instructions from a specific location in memory - typically ROM.

  • the instructions in ROM force the system to probe for and configure hardware.

  • then searches for a device that may contain additional boot code:

    • disks reserve space for boot code, but it isn't always used.

    • its boot code is executed, and attempts to locate and load an operating system.

    • the process after te bootable disk is found is platform-specific.

Boot code characteristics

Has a specific location.

The instructions are in machine code:

  • 0xB400

  • MOV AH,00

on a storage device it is difficult to distinguish random data from machine code

Systems with BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

BIOS boots by reading the first sector on a hard disk and executing it which has space limitations.

This boot sector code in turn locates and runs additional code in the first sector of the partition.

Which locates and loads the actual operating system.

Last updated 1 year ago