I am not an expert. I really, enthusiastically enjoy performing digital forensic analysis of Windows systems and will get up early (for me…"early" is a relative term) to work on an examination. I enjoy not just finding new things in my analysis, but finding new combinations of things, looking for those hidden patterns to jump out of the data. I enjoy writing code to parse the binary contents of a file so that I can then see how the various teeth of the operating system and application gears mesh together, and in seeing what primary, secondary, and tertiary artifacts are left by various events that occur on a system.
When I first started writing books, I did so because I could not find something that would fit what I saw as my needs. Sure, there were books available that covered some aspects of digital forensic analysis of Windows systems, but there wasn't anything available that really went into depth on analyzing Windows as a system of interconnected components. There were books that covered some of the really obvious indications of an intrusion or malware infection, but how often are our examinations really about finding the obvious artifacts? I knew I couldn't be the only one looking for something like this, and writing a book not only provided a reference for myself and others, but the act of writing required me to polish and hone my thoughts. I hope you enjoy the finished product, and that it leads you beyond the obvious.
I hope you find my attempt to contribute to the digital forensics analysis community to be useful and thought-provoking. Thank you.
"Harlan has done it again! Continuing in the tradition of excellence established by the previous editions, Windows Forensics Analysis Toolkit 3e is an indispensable resource for any forensic examiner. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting out, this work is required reading. WFA3e will maintain a perennial spot on my core reference bookshelf!"--Cory Altheide, Google
"Windows Forensic Analysis Toolkit 3rd Edition provides a wealth of important information for new and old practitioners alike. Not only does it provide a great overview of artifacts of interest on Windows 7 systems, but it also presents plenty of technology independent concepts that play an important role in any investigation. Feel free to place a copy on your shelf next to WFA 2ed and WRF."--Digital4rensics.com
"The third edition of this reference for system administrators, digital forensic analysts, students, and law enforcement does not replace the second edition, but rather serves as a companion. Coverage encompasses areas such as immediate response, volume shadow copies, file and registry analysis, malware detection, and application analysis. Learning features include b&w screenshots, tip and warning boxes, code (also available on a website), case studies, and 'war stories' from the field. The tools described throughout the book are written in the Perl scripting language, but readers don't need to be experts in Perl, and most of the scripts are accompanied by Windows executables found online. For this third edition, a companion website provides printable checklists, cheat sheets, custom tools, and demos."--Reference and Research Book News, Inc.
"There is a good reason behind the success of the previous editions of this book, and it has to do with two things: new Windows versions are different enough from previous ones to warrant a new edition and, most importantly, the author is simply that good at explaining things. This edition is no different."--HelpNetSecurity
If you've worked with Windows for any length of time, you know that each subsequent version of Microsoft's operating system tends to be almost the same...and yet entirely different. Windows 7 is no exception, giving us many familiar logs, structures, and artifacts that we know from Windows XP or 2003...only revised and expanded, or in different locations, or in different formats, or all of the above. Not to mention the brand new stuff.
Harlan has once again found the sweet spot - instead of fully revising the Second Edition of his book (which would be premature, as most environments still have extensive XP / 2003 infrastructure in place, and likely will for some time), he provides a companion book that builds on his previous volumes and outlines the new technologies and key differences between Windows 7 and earlier versions of the OS.
Now that many corporations are finally rolling out Windows 7 in force, forensic examiners are also making the transition to analyzing "new" Windows systems. This book provides the essential reference for Windows 7 analysis. While many of the technologies and techniques in Harlan's book have been discussed on blogs, mailing lists, and at conferences, he has been kind enough to collect the information in one place. In addition, he has been thorough enough to verify and expand upon the information through his own research and analysis, providing real world examples, tips, and cautions along the way.
Finally, as always Harlan writes with a keen awareness - both first-hand and through his extensive industry contacts - of what is current "in the field". This encompasses not only the specific questions and challenges faced by real analysts in real cases, but the tools and techniques in use or under development to address those issues. Harlan's information is both timely and relevant...and all the better for those of us on a budget that many of those tools and techniques he discusses are free and / or open source.
Harlan Carvey's "Windows Forensic Analysis Toolkit - Third Edition" is a welcome companion to both his Second Edition and Windows Registry Analysis. The three form a set that no Windows incident responder or forensic analyst should be without.
I found that Harlan's latest book is a great adjunct to my collection of his works. While it presents many of the essential operating system updates that we've discussed on forums, it also reviews enough previously published material to give the reader a foundation upon which to grasp important topics that haven't been issues in earlier systems. I like the way that Harlan laid out the chapters; he presents the material succinctly, yet with sufficient detail to provide a worthwhile learning experience. From my perspective, I particularly appreciate the Malware Detection chapter, as it presents a very nice summary of problems that many law enforcement examiners face, and Harlan provides not only direction, but tells us why certain procedures and artifacts are important.
Product Details :
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Syngress; 3 edition (February 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597497274
ISBN-13: 978-1597497275
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
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