This is why I wrote this book.
@Brett_Shavers Thanks! Your book was VERY helpful. Used X-Ways today for the first time on a real life matter. Wow! Processing time savings, search and events are worth the price of admission.
— Richard McElroy (@rbm411) July 21, 2022
Got where I was going fast and I just scratched the surface of the tool.
Every purchase of nearly everything that I make must answer one simple question: “Is this worth the money?”
For personal items, this is an easy question to answer. If my car needs gas, the answer is always “Yes” because I need to drive my car!
For work items, this question needs a little reflection. For example, when I evaluate a need any DFIR tool (hardware, software, books, training, education), I want to know:
(1) Do I really need it or can I use what I already have, or
(2) will this tool make me more money net in billing, or
(3) will this tool save me time, or
(4) will this tool reduce mistakes.
And that is where the X-Ways Forensics Practitioner’s Guide, Second Edition comes in.
If there is one chapter, or one paragraph in the book that can save you a gross amount of time or prevent making errors or help be more effective with X-Ways Forensics than if you didn’t read it, then the value of the book is equivalent to that amount of benefit.
Sometimes, it is difficult to recognize value in our tools. We tend to look at the dollar sign for a conference or software and complain (silently or not-so-silently) that everything is too expensive or should be free. Practically, however, if taking a $5,000 training course allows you to work on cases where you might be billing $10,000 to $50,000 PER CASE, then $5,000 is a great investment.
I look at books the same way. If I can spend a few minutes a day reading and find something that can save me days of effort, or prevent mistakes that cost me days of re-doing work or embarrassment, then that book cost was worth it. Even if the book sits on a shelf until needed, I plan on using every tool at my disposal just so my expenses can be turned into investments.
Perhaps, especially if you are new to X-Ways Forensics, this book is worth 100x its price.
And that is why this book exists.
The X-Ways Forensics Practitioner's Guide/2E 