Free ebookDigital Forensics for Beginners: Collecting, Preserving, and Analyzing Evidence on Windows, Mobile, and Cloud

Course Description

Digital Forensics for Beginners: Collecting, Preserving, and Analyzing Evidence on Windows, Mobile, and Cloud is a practical ebook course designed for anyone entering cyber security and incident response within Information Technology. It teaches how to approach investigations with the right mindset, follow legal ethical guardrails, and handle digital evidence in a way that stands up to internal review or external scrutiny.

You will learn how forensic soundness guides every step, from evidence intake and documentation to maintaining chain of custody and proving integrity with hashing. The course builds foundational knowledge of disks, partitions, and file systems so you can understand what you are acquiring and why it matters, then moves into proven forensic imaging workflows using FTK Imager and rapid collection methods with KAPE when time sensitive triage is required.

On Windows, you will practice identifying user activity artifacts that support attribution and timeline building, including registry and event log interpretation, persistence indicators, browser and download traces, and file execution and access evidence such as Prefetch, LNK files, and Jump Lists. You will also get an introduction to memory forensics with Volatility, plus network traffic review with Wireshark and simple log analysis to connect endpoint actions with communications and account activity.

Mobile forensics coverage explains realistic acquisition limitations and shows how to work with Android backups, file system artifacts, and app data considerations, alongside iOS logical extraction, backups, and privacy constraints. You will extend your skills to cloud forensics and SaaS evidence collection from Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, focusing on retention, legal holds, and audit log preservation so cloud investigations remain defensible.

Progressive scenario labs mirror real world cases such as employee data theft, phishing and account access reconstruction, ransomware triage and evidence preservation, and lost or stolen phone handling. You will apply an analysis workflow in Autopsy and Sleuth Kit, build timelines while managing time zones and time skew, and learn reporting, findings validation, and expert ready writing. Templates, checklists, diagrams, mini quizzes, and reinforcement exercises help you avoid common mistakes that invalidate evidence and establish repeatable procedures for consistent results.

Start this course now to build job ready digital forensics skills and learn how to collect, preserve, analyze, and report evidence across endpoints, mobile devices, and cloud services with confidence.