Digital Forensics & Data Recovery

Project Overview

Preserve the source, work from a clone, document the result.

Data-recovery engagements ranged from accidental deletion and failed storage devices to confidential investigative matters where data had been purposely removed and the handling process needed to support a larger case.

When circumstances allowed, the original drive was not booted. Its contents were cloned onto a separate working drive using external hardware, the source media was returned to evidence, and analysis continued against the clone. Recovered material was written to separate destination media rather than modifying the original or the working copy.

The examination could include looking for deleted or hidden partitions, identifying file systems, recovering deleted directories and files and documenting what was found so a client, private investigator or law-enforcement contact could use the results as part of a broader investigation.

Not every engagement was investigative. The same recovery discipline was also applied to accidental deletion and hardware failures across conventional client systems.

Capabilities

What the recovery workflow covered

• Hard-drive, SSD, SD-card and USB-flash recovery
• Deleted or hidden partition discovery
• File-system, directory and deleted-file recovery
• Source preservation and clone-based working copies where practical
• Recovery to separate destination / evidence media
• Hardware-failure recovery, including donor hardware on appropriate legacy drives
• Written findings for clients, private investigators and investigative use

What It Demonstrates

The recovery itself is only part of the job.

In evidence-sensitive work, the technical ability to recover a file is not enough. The process also needs to minimize changes to the source, keep working and recovered media distinct, and leave a clear enough record that another person can understand what was done and what the recovered material represents.