Designing Laboratories for
Small Scale Digital Device Forensics

Richard P. Mislan
Assistant Professor
Cyber Forensics Lab
Department of Computer & Information Technology
College of Technology
Purdue University
rmislan@purdue.edu

Tim Wedge
Computer Crime Specialist
NW3C
twedge@nw3c.org
 

ABSTRACT

The ubiquity of small scale digital devices (SSDD), the public’s ever increasing societal dependence on SSDD, and the continual presence of SSDD at all types of crime scenes, including non-technical and violent crimes, demand a formalized curriculum for the education and training of future cyber forensic examiners. This paper presents the various SSDD forensics labs currently in use and under development for future use at the Purdue University Cyber Forensics Laboratory. The primary objective of each module is to provide specific real-world cases for the learning, comprehension, and understanding of hands-on investigative techniques and methodologies. The purpose of this paper is to outline those elements that will make effective Small Scale Digital Device Forensics labs.
 

Keywords: Forensics, Cyber Forensics, Digital Evidence, Education, Training, Small Scale Digital Devices, Personal Digital Technologies