Digital Forensics
CyPro provides a comprehensive digital forensics service designed to investigate, analyse and resolve digital security incidents.
Our team of qualified experts collects and examines digital evidence, uncovers root causes and provides detailed reports for internal, regulatory or legal requirements.
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What is Digital Forensics?
Our digital forensics service is a vital solution designed to investigate and analyse digital incidents, uncovering the facts behind cyber breaches, data theft and other digital threats.
The digital forensics process involves recovering and examining data from devices such as computers, smartphones and cloud platforms to determine how and why an incident occurred. Our certified experts deliver in-depth forensic analysis and tailored recommendations, allowing your business to effectively address incidents without disrupting daily operations.
What's Included?
Evidence Preservation
We define clear objectives for the investigation, ensuring all relevant systems are secured and potential evidence is preserved.
Data Acquisition
Our experts retrieve data from compromised devices, servers and cloud storage, using forensically sound methods to avoid altering critical evidence.
In-Depth Analysis
We examine the collected evidence, piecing together the sequence of events, attack vectors and methods used by threat actors.
Malware Identification
Suspect files, logs and communications are dissected, enabling us to determine if malware was deployed or if suspicious activity took place.
Legal Compliance
Our procedures follow recognised standards, maintaining full chain of custody and supporting compliance with laws such as GDPR.
Post-Incident Support
Following the investigation, we remain on hand, providing additional analysis, advising on improvements and helping your organisation learn from the event.
Challenges Addressed by Digital Forensics
Evidence Preservation
Preserving digital evidence and ensuring that it hasn’t been altered or compromised can be a challenge as it requires highly specialised tools and expertise. If data is mishandled this can lead to it being rendered inadmissible in legal or regulatory proceedings.
Hidden or Deleted Data
Cyber criminals will try to hide their activities by deleting or encrypting data, making it extremely difficult for non-experts to uncover the full scope of an incident.
Complex Data Sources
It is common for modern organisations to rely on a wide variety of devices and systems, including mobile phones, cloud storage, IoT devices and laptops. This diversity complicates the process of locating and analysing evidence.
Timely Forensic Analysis
After an incident, digital forensics must be conducted within a tight timeframe to prevent further damage, recover lost data or to support legal proceedings.
Legal Obligations
Digital forensic investigations often coincide with legal requirements and regulatory standards. Forensics experts must be well-versed in these regulatory frameworks to ensure that evidence is collected and presented in alignment with them and to avoid legal complications.
Lack of Expertise
Many businesses lack the in-house expertise required to conduct thorough digital forensic investigations, risking overlooking critical evidence when taking this challenge on themselves. Having digital forensics specialists on hand ensures that the data collected is accurate and reliable.
Evidence Preservation
Preserving digital evidence and ensuring that it hasn’t been altered or compromised can be a challenge as it requires highly specialised tools and expertise. If data is mishandled this can lead to it being rendered inadmissible in legal or regulatory proceedings.
Hidden or Deleted Data
Cyber criminals will try to hide their activities by deleting or encrypting data, making it extremely difficult for non-experts to uncover the full scope of an incident.
Complex Data Sources
It is common for modern organisations to rely on a wide variety of devices and systems, including mobile phones, cloud storage, IoT devices and laptops. This diversity complicates the process of locating and analysing evidence.
Timely Forensic Analysis
After an incident, digital forensics must be conducted within a tight timeframe to prevent further damage, recover lost data or to support legal proceedings.
Legal Obligations
Digital forensic investigations often coincide with legal requirements and regulatory standards. Forensics experts must be well-versed in these regulatory frameworks to ensure that evidence is collected and presented in alignment with them and to avoid legal complications.
Lack of Expertise
Many businesses lack the in-house expertise required to conduct thorough digital forensic investigations, risking overlooking critical evidence when taking this challenge on themselves. Having digital forensics specialists on hand ensures that the data collected is accurate and reliable.
What Our Clients Say
Benefits of Digital Forensics
With the CyPro experts handling the investigation, organisations can uncover the truth behind incidents while safeguarding critical data and operations.
Evidence Recovery
CyPro’s team of digital forensics specialists uses advanced tools and techniques to uncover evidence from various sources, including deleted or encrypted data. Your business can fully understand the scope of the incidents, supporting legal, regulatory or internal investigations with reliable and actionable findings.
Minimised Downtime
Our systematic investigation minimises operational disruption while ensuring critical systems and data are recovered efficiently. By addressing incidents quickly, businesses can mitigate any financial and reputational damage that may occur.
Strengthened Security
Post-incident forensic analysis identifies vulnerabilities in your digital environments that led to the incident. Insights allow you to implement targeted improvements in your security posture while ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
Preserving Data Integrity
We ensure that evidence is collected and preserved in a forensically sound manner, maintaining its integrity for legal or regulatory proceedings. Our process protects evidence so it can withstand scrutiny and be admissible in court.
Supporting Insurance Claims
Digital forensic findings can play a significant role in supporting cyber insurance claims, ensuring businesses receive compensation they are entitled to for damages or losses.
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Case Study: UK Insurance Broker
Client Challenge
A UK-based financial services company discovered suspicious activity within its internal systems, leading to the compromise of client account data and transactional records.
The breach risked significant regulatory penalties under GDPR and FCA requirements, as well as erosion of client trust and reputational damage.
The organisation needed an urgent investigation to pinpoint the source of the attack, assess the extent of the damage and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
Our Approach
To address these challenges, CyPro deployed an experienced incident response team:
- Incident Response Manager: Provided operational incident management oversight and led the collection and analysis of digital evidence to uncover the attacker’s tactics.
- Compliance Specialist: Ensured adherence to GDPR, FCA and PCI DSS regulations throughout the investigation and reporting process.
- Forensics Analyst: Provided insights into threat actor activity, ensuring that evidence was collected according to UK legal standards.
Our approach included:
- Evidence Collection and Preservation: Forensic images of affected servers and endpoints were captured to secure data integrity while maintaining a strict chain of custody.
- Incident Analysis: Investigated compromised systems, email accounts, and network traffic to determine how attackers gained access and identify any data exfiltration.
- Remediation Strategy: Identified vulnerabilities in the firm’s infrastructure, such as unpatched software and provided actionable recommendations for strengthening security.
- Regulatory Reporting: Delivered comprehensive documentation detailing the investigation process, findings, and mitigation measures, ensuring compliance with reporting deadlines.
Value Delivered
Regulatory Compliance
Maintained full GDPR and UK DPA compliance, reducing regulatory fines and maintaining client trust.
Business Continuity
Minimised disruption, allowing the firm to maintain operations while securing compromised systems.
Maintained Client Trust
Assisted in crafting clear, transparent communication to reassure clients, preserving long-term relationships.
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Who Needs Digital Forensics?
Every organisation that relies on digital systems or stores sensitive data should have access to professional digital forensic services:
- Financial Service Providers: Banks, credit unions, and other financial service providers manage large volumes of sensitive customer data, including financial transactions and personal identifying information. In the event of a data breach, digital forensics can uncover how the incident occurred, recover stolen data and provide evidence for further actions- helping to mitigate financial losses and maintain customer trust.
- Healthcare Organisations: Under strict regulations like UK DPA and HIPAA, hospitals, clinics and healthcare providers handle highly sensitive patient data. We help investigate breaches or unauthorised access to patient data, ensuring compliance with regulations and safeguarding patient privacy.
- E-Commerce Platforms: Online retailers execute massive quantities of transactions daily, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. Digital forensics can trace incidents such as payment fraud, recover lost data and provide insights to bolster security.
- Government Agencies: Government agencies managing national security, public welfare and citizen data are frequent targets for cyber attacks. Digital forensics is essential for investigating breaches, identifying attackers and securing sensitive information to ensure public trust and business continuity.
- Highly Regulated Industries: Industries such as energy, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals operate under strict regulations across multiple jurisdictions. CyPro’s digital forensic service investigates incidents within the organisation, documents findings for compliance purposes and meets global standards such as GDPR, HIPAA and ISO 27001.
- Legal & Professional Services: Law firms, consultancy firms and other professional service providers hold confidential client information that they must safeguard. Digital forensics helps to identify breaches, recover sensitive client data and provide detailed reports to support legal action and compliance requirements.
Who Doesn’t Need Digital Forensics?
- Businesses Without Digital Assets: Small businesses that operate solely in physical surroundings, don’t have online sales or don’t gather customer data, such as neighbourhood coffee shops or bakeries are unlikely to encounter scenarios that require digital forensics.
- Entities Outside Of Regulatory Oversight: Businesses that are not subject to compliance requirements, litigation risks or external audits may not need digital forensics to preserve data or present evidence.
Our Approach
CyPro’s digital forensics process is designed to deliver precise, actionable insights while preserving the integrity of your data. We use a structured approach to uncover the timeline behind the incident, ensuring thorough evidence collection and effective remediation.
Evidence Discovery
Our top priority is to secure and preserve digital evidence in a forensically sound manner. We ensure data integrity while gathering relevant information from your devices, networks and system. This step ensures that all evidence will be admissible in a court of law.
Incident Reconstruction
We analyse system logs, file metadata and network activity to reconstruct the timeline of the incident and understand it further. We piece together the when, why and how the breach occurred to uncover as much detail about the attacker and the data that had been infiltrated.
Advanced Data Recovery
CyPro’s forensic experts work to recover hidden, deleted or encrypted data that may be critical to understanding the scope of the incident. When recovering the data, we maintain its authenticity for further investigation as well as legal purposes.
Root Cause Analysis
We conduct a thorough examination of exploited vulnerabilities, misconfigurations and insider threats to identify the root cause and prevent future incidents. These findings inform our actionable recommendations for improving your business’s overall security posture and retaining client trust.
Compliance Support
We make sure your organisation remains compliant with industry regulations and standards like UK DPA, GDPR, HIPPA and PCI-DSS. We provide detailed, plain-language reports outlining our findings and remediation steps, supporting regulatory requirements with confidence.
Post-Incident Recommendations
Going beyond investigation, our experts deliver strategic guidance to your business. We provide you with tailored recommendations to strengthen your defences, seal gaps in your security and mitigate the risk of any future incidents. This proactive approach aids your organisation’s resilience to prominent cyber threats.
Secure your business.
Elevate your security, accelerate your growth. We take care of cyber security for high-growth companies, at every stage of their journey.
Get in Touch
Secure your business.
Elevate your security, accelerate your growth. We take care of cyber security for high-growth companies, at every stage of their journey.
Get in TouchYour Team
Rob McBride
Rob is a Founding Partner at CyPro and a highly experienced CISO. Beginning his career with a successful tenure at Deloitte, Rob has since amassed a wealth of experience, notably serving as a cyber security advisor to the UK government and spearheading cloud security transformations for several global banks.
At CyPro, Rob leads the managed service business line, working extensively across multiple sectors including telecommunications, technology, higher education, travel, and retail. He is passionate about equipping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with robust cyber security strategies to fuel their growth.
Additional Consultants
Jordan is an experienced and highly skilled senior SOC analyst who is certified as a GIAC incident handler (GCIH). He specialises in ensuring the efficient onboarding of clients to our SOC service, focusing on deploying detection rules tailored to each client’s specific threat landscape.
Jordan excels in identifying and responding to sophisticated cyber threats, leveraging his deep knowledge of threat detection tools and techniques to provide proactive protection.
Previously serving as a SOC Manager for the UK Home Office, Jordan brings extensive experience in managing large-scale security operations for critical government infrastructure. He is responsible for overseeing 24×7 monitoring, incident response, and the continuous improvement of detection strategies within our 24×7 SOC.
John is an enthusiastic, motivated Information Security professional, passionate about creating secure systems and environments.
He is a confident communicator, adept at taking complex security risks and making them easier to understand for all audiences, technical and non-technical alike. A strong team player, having collaborated with a variety of virtual teams and cultures.
Beyond these qualifications, he is a trained mental health first aider and a member of a Search and Rescue team, giving him a unique set of skills and knowledge to draw upon. With a proven record of success, he is able to work effectively at all levels within an organisation, while providing a high level of credibility and interpersonal skills. He is dedicated to always delivering a professional level of integrity and client-facing skills.
Comparison: Cyber Incident Response vs Digital Forensics
When deciding between a cyber incident response and digital forensics services, it is important to understand the advantages each option offers.
Digital Forensics & Investigation
- Purpose: A thorough investigation into compromised technical IT or data assets in the event of a cyber attack, including the structured collection of evidence. Usually involves highly specialised tools and expertise when performing the analysis.
- Scope: Usually performed towards the end of an cyber security incident, once the issue has been resolved, to identify root causes and how attackers might have infiltrated defences. Often limited to specific controls or IT assets.
- Cost: Cost-effective service for one-time purchases, due to their specific focus.
- Who Is This Best For? Organisations that already have a capable incident response service but who require a one-off investigation from a large or sensitive incident (e.g. internal fraud case going to court).
Cyber Incident Response
- Purpose: Provides a structured and end-to-end response to various types of cyber security incidents to minimise or prevent impacts to business operations.
- Scope: Applies to the entire client company (or group of companies depending on the entity structure) and covers the entire incident from start to finish.
- Cost: Typically on a retained basis, which enables fast responses (reduces the need for protracted and time consuming commercial processes when an incident occurs).
- Who Is This Best For? Organisations seeking to gain reassurance that any and all cyber incidents will be handled promptly and efficiently by qualified experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the 5 branches of digital forensics?
Digital forensics is divided into five main branches, each specialising in different aspects of digital evidence collection and analysis.
Computer forensics focuses on investigating digital evidence found on computers, including desktop and laptop hard drives, operating systems, and file systems. Investigators in this field analyse deleted files, malware infections, unauthorised access attempts, and other forms of digital tampering. This branch is essential in both criminal cases and corporate investigations, where devices may contain crucial evidence such as financial fraud records or insider threats.
Mobile device forensics deals with retrieving and analysing data from smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices. Given the increasing reliance on mobile devices for communication and data storage, this field has become vital for uncovering call logs, text messages, location history, social media activity, and application data. Investigators often face challenges such as encryption, device security mechanisms, and cloud storage integration when retrieving information from mobile devices.
Network forensics examines digital activity at the network level. Cybercriminals often operate remotely, using networks to launch attacks, exfiltrate sensitive information, or communicate through encrypted channels. Network forensic investigations involve capturing and analysing network traffic to detect signs of unauthorised access, data breaches, malware communication, or denial-of-service attacks. Security teams use network forensics to understand how an intrusion occurred and to prevent similar attacks in the future.
Forensic data analysis focuses on structured data, often found in financial systems, databases, and transactional records. This branch is widely used in fraud detection and corporate investigations, helping to identify patterns of misconduct, financial irregularities, and instances of insider threats. By scrutinising massive datasets, forensic experts can uncover hidden relationships between data points and determine whether unauthorised changes have been made to financial records.
Database forensics is a specialised field within digital forensics that examines database systems to track unauthorised modifications, access logs, and suspicious transactions. Databases often contain highly sensitive business and customer data, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. Investigators analyse logs, stored procedures, and backup files to determine whether unauthorised data alterations have taken place. This process helps organisations maintain data integrity and ensures compliance with data protection regulations.
- What is digital forensics in a nutshell?
Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science that focuses on identifying, collecting, preserving, analysing, and reporting on electronic data. It plays a critical role in criminal investigations, cybersecurity incident response, and corporate security cases. The primary goal of digital forensics is to uncover digital evidence that can be used to support legal proceedings, internal investigations, or security assessments.
The process typically begins with identifying potential sources of digital evidence, such as computers, mobile devices, servers, or cloud storage. Investigators then collect and preserve the data in a manner that ensures it remains unchanged and admissible in court. Once collected, forensic experts use specialised tools to extract and analyse the data, identifying relevant evidence such as deleted files, login attempts, network activity, or traces of malware. The findings are then documented in a detailed forensic report, which can be used in legal proceedings or cybersecurity investigations.
Digital forensics is essential because almost all modern crimes involve some form of digital activity. Whether it’s fraud, data theft, hacking, cyberstalking, or insider threats, digital forensic specialists provide the necessary expertise to uncover the truth and support legal enforcement efforts.
Our digital forensics services are designed to help businesses of all sizes handle cyber incidents effectively. Whether you need to recover data, investigate a breach, or protect sensitive information, our team has the expertise and advanced forensic tools to assist you.
- How long does digital forensics take?
The time required for a digital forensic investigation varies significantly depending on the volume of data, the complexity of the case, and whether any obfuscation techniques, such as encryption or file deletion, have been used. Small-scale investigations involving limited amounts of data may take just a few hours or days, while large-scale cases spanning multiple devices, servers, or cloud storage locations can extend to several weeks or even months.
For example, analysing 100GB of digital data typically takes around 35 hours to complete. However, if an investigation requires the examination of multiple devices, encrypted files, or network logs spanning several months, the timeframe can be significantly longer. Additionally, legal requirements, such as obtaining warrants or adhering to compliance regulations, may add further delays.
The efficiency of an investigation also depends on the expertise of forensic analysts and the tools they use. Modern forensic software can automate certain processes, speeding up analysis, but some cases still require manual review to ensure accuracy. Regardless of the timeframe, forensic investigations must be conducted thoroughly to maintain the integrity of the evidence and ensure that all findings are legally admissible.
If your organisation requires a digital forensic investigation, our team can assess your specific needs and provide a more accurate timeline based on the nature of your case. We prioritise efficiency while ensuring that all findings are legally sound and actionable.
- Why is digital forensics important?
Digital forensics plays a crucial role in modern security, law enforcement, and corporate investigations. It helps uncover the truth behind cyber incidents, data breaches, fraud, and digital misconduct. By analysing digital evidence, forensic experts can determine how an attack occurred, identify the perpetrators, and provide crucial insights to prevent similar incidents in the future.
For businesses, digital forensics is essential in protecting sensitive data and maintaining regulatory compliance. Organisations must adhere to strict data protection laws, such as GDPR and HIPAA, to ensure the security of personal and financial information. In cases of a data breach, forensic investigations help companies assess the extent of the compromise, recover lost data, and implement stronger security measures to mitigate future risks.
In the legal field, digital forensics provides critical evidence that can support criminal investigations, civil lawsuits, and corporate litigation. Courts rely on digital forensic reports to establish facts, verify claims, and prosecute cybercriminals. Without proper forensic procedures, valuable evidence may be lost, tampered with, or deemed inadmissible in court.
By partnering with our forensic specialists, businesses can ensure that they are prepared to handle security incidents effectively. Our team provides comprehensive forensic reports, legal guidance, and recommendations to prevent future threats.
- Can deleted files be recovered during digital forensics?
In many cases, forensic investigators can recover deleted files, provided that they have not been permanently overwritten by new data. When a file is deleted from a device, it is not immediately erased from the storage medium. Instead, the system marks the space as available for new data, meaning that until new information is written over it, the original file may still be retrieved.
Specialised forensic tools allow experts to extract and reconstruct deleted files, even if they have been fragmented or partially overwritten. Additionally, forensic techniques such as metadata analysis can reveal details about deleted files, including their original location, modification history, and access timestamps.
However, file recovery becomes challenging when secure deletion methods, such as data wiping or encryption, have been used. In such cases, forensic experts may attempt to recover fragments of data from storage remnants or backup systems, but complete recovery is not always guaranteed.
If your business has lost important documents, emails, or financial records, our forensic team can conduct an in-depth analysis to determine the likelihood of recovery. Even in cases where complete recovery is not possible, we can often retrieve partial data or reconstruct information from system logs and backups.
- What legal considerations are involved in digital forensics?
Digital forensic investigations must adhere to strict legal frameworks to ensure that evidence is collected, handled, and presented in a lawful manner. One of the most important legal principles is the chain of custody, which ensures that digital evidence remains unaltered and properly documented throughout the investigation. Any gaps in this process can compromise the integrity of the evidence and render it inadmissible in court.
Data protection laws, such as GDPR, impose additional obligations on investigators, requiring that any personal data collected during an investigation is handled securely and lawfully. For example, organisations conducting internal digital forensic investigations must ensure that they do not violate employee privacy rights while gathering evidence.
Jurisdictional issues also come into play when dealing with international cybercrime cases. Different countries have varying laws governing digital evidence collection, which means that investigators must navigate complex legal frameworks to ensure compliance. Failure to follow proper legal procedures can result in legal challenges, fines, or dismissal of crucial evidence in court.
Our digital forensics services ensure that all investigations are conducted lawfully, with strict adherence to compliance requirements. Whether you need forensic evidence for legal action or internal security measures, our team can guide you through the process while minimising legal risks.
- Can digital forensics prevent future cyber incidents?
While digital forensics primarily focuses on investigating and analysing past cyber incidents, it plays a crucial role in preventing future attacks by identifying security weaknesses, understanding attack methods, and strengthening cybersecurity measures.
A digital forensic investigation provides critical insights into how an incident occurred, what vulnerabilities were exploited, and who was responsible. By thoroughly examining compromised systems, forensic experts can determine whether the breach resulted from weak passwords, outdated software, misconfigurations, phishing attacks, insider threats, or undetected malware. Understanding these factors allows organisations to address security gaps and implement the necessary controls to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Another key benefit of digital forensics is that it helps organisations develop stronger incident response strategies. By analysing previous cyberattacks, forensic specialists can identify patterns in cybercriminal behaviour, enabling businesses to enhance their threat detection systems, network monitoring capabilities, and access control measures. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of successful future attacks and ensures a faster, more efficient response if a security breach does occur.
Additionally, forensic findings are instrumental in security awareness training for employees. Many cyber incidents, such as phishing attacks or unauthorised access, occur due to human error. By using real-world examples from forensic investigations, businesses can educate employees on recognising suspicious activity, securely handling sensitive data, and following best practices to avoid becoming a target.
For organisations operating in highly regulated industries, digital forensics also plays a role in ensuring compliance with cybersecurity and data protection laws. Investigations often reveal whether an organisation is meeting regulatory requirements or if there are gaps that need to be addressed to avoid legal and financial penalties.
At our company, we don’t just investigate security breaches—we provide businesses with comprehensive forensic insights that help them strengthen their cybersecurity posture. By conducting forensic analysis and working closely with your team, we help identify weaknesses, implement stronger defences, and reduce the risk of future cyber incidents. If your organisation wants to be proactive about security, contact us today to discuss how our digital forensics and cybersecurity services can protect your business.
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