Project 1: Investigative Considerations
Reports Expectations:
All reports/papers should have a cover page, an abstract, a table of contents that is automatically generated in Word, and an introduction, identifiable sections of your paper, and conclusion.
Since this is graduate level work, I expect a substantial amount of citations in your writing. Include appropriate reference citations for any content used in the body of your Project.
Review and Use American Psychological Association (APA) format for citations, Figure labels, and Tables, etc.
Label all screen shots using APA format (e.g. Figure 1 , FTK Evidence Processing) (e.g. Table 1 Budget Projections, etc. )
Please refer to the resource on writing graduate level papers which is part of the library resources.
All submissions have to be in Word so I can embed my feedback within the document - no pdf.
For re-submission, please work from the document in which my feedback was embedded, and please leave the feedback intact – that way I can tell where changes have been made to the re-submission.
Please adhere to expected paper length in your papers.
I ask that you read the project specifications carefully and identify what is required. For example, Project One requires that you develop the necessary steps to set up a forensics investigation plan. The plan should therefore include the following:
A brief abstract of what the paper is about
An introduction to the case at hand
A checklist description of safety steps an investigator would follow to ensure safety is addressed in the investigation
The Preliminary Work will discuss the Rules and Regulation, and Laws pertaining to your investigation. This could include key components such as chain of custody for evidence file examination, search warrant, subpoenas, jurisdictions, plain view doctrine, authority, etc…
A description of Preparation / Interview Questions by providing the forms you will use such as interview questions, chain of custody form.
A description of Investigation Resources including a check list of resources to be considered, tool & equipment, analysis of evidence types and contingencies
A description of Management Plan when you discuss your proposed methodology. This methodology would include at least the discussion of collection, examination, analysis, and reporting.
The methodology will:
help avoid general legal liability and avoid liability to third parties interested in the investigation, e.g., intellectual property rights, etc. You also need to minimize the potential for becoming trapped in legal issues and include third parties with interest in the investigation.
Ensure the safety of the property and environments involved in the investigation.
Provide the evidence-handling procedures that are preserving the chain of custody, and are critical if law enforcement becomes involved.
The Management Plan should also describe the team structure, budget and timeline. Use Proper Budget Projection Table and Label (See APA format); Use Proper Timeline Table and Label (See APA format)
Use APA format for references and citations.
To help you jump start your Project 1, here is an example of how to navigate a Project and the expectations.
Please read through the scenario, click on hyperlinks where you want more information, and complete the tasks, which include:
1) to create an interview form to record questions, keywords, and authorization information, and
2) to designate the legal forms that will be needed in this case.
Please remember, the scenario sets the scene of a real world situation common to what a Digital Forensic Investigator will see – please do not take scenario items literally. For instance, in Step 1 it is common to use search warrants and police reports at a crime scene, that doesn’t mean there are actual warrants and reports here.
The forms that you complete as part of Step 1 will be included in your “Investigation Project Plan”-- the final assignment for this project. So, Step 1 asks you to create an interview form as well as identify legal forms (like search warrants) that are typically included in cases such as the described scenario.
Step 2 is asking you to develop a simple checklist.