Author: Brett Shavers

http://www.amazon.com/author/brettshavers https://www.brettshavers.com https://www.dfir.training

Last day of discounted X-Ways Forensics online course

I’m sure there are a few more people left to register for the X-Ways Forensics online course (XWF I) with the discount code of “xwf1”. That’s 25% off, plus includes free tuition to the X-Ways Forensics II online course. XWF I is introductory, XWF II is more indepth, quite a bit longer, and will be released in August. XWF III, a shorter course will be released sometime after August.

Everyone registering by midnight tonight (Pacific time) for XWF I, gets access to XWF II and XWF III when published without cost. Otherwise, it’s a separate tuition payment for each course.  From July 18, the XWF I is back to $195, XWF II will be $299, and XWF III will be $75.   Each class is lifetime access, on demand training, including updates to the courses when XWF is substantially updated (should be a course update once a year).

Details on XWF II are here: https://xwaysforensics.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/x-ways-forensics-practitioners-guide-online-ii/

Register for X-Ways Forensics Practitioner’s Guide online course here:  http://courses.dfironlinetraining.com/x-ways-forensics-practitioners-guide

xwfii

New X-Tension: Up to 30GB min speeds on SSD drives!

A new X-Tension, “C4All” is available for download (free) at http://www.x-ways.net/forensics/x-tensions/index.html.  C4All is used to categorize pictures and videos, processing skin tone and video stills.  Speeds up to 30GB min speeds on SSD drives have been observed.

free css template

If you are an X-Ways user, this is one of those cool “little” things that will make you excited.

Digital Forensics Book of the Year!

The X-Ways Forensics Practitioner’s Guide won the Best Digital Forensics Book of the Year award at the DFIR Summit 2014 in Austin, Texas.  I’d like to thank everyone who voted for the XWF Guide and hope the book has helped you in your work.

  Xways-Cover

award
https://forensic4cast.com/forensic-4cast-awards/2014-results/

Vote for your favorite book

Don’t forget to vote for the XWF Guide at http://forensic4cast.com/2014/04/2014-forensic-4cast-awards-meet-the-nominees/.  But of course, only vote if you liked it 🙂

And if you didn’t like it (which means you don’t have XWF…), vote for my other book, Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard.  But again, only vote if you liked it 🙂

And if you didn’t like that book either…give me your phone number.  We need to talk…

Humbled and honored

4cast
Forensic 4cast Awards

I just saw that the book of the year nominees at the Forensic 4cast Awards include both the X-Ways Practitioner’s Guide and Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard.  For those that made the nominations, that was very kind.  For those that vote for either book, I thank you in advance.

Both books are pretty good.  Each gives plenty of tips and information to save you hours of frustration, and more importantly, close some cases.  There is a sample chapter of Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard here: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/feature/Placing-the-Suspect-Behind-the-Keyboard  There are reviews at Amazon for both books that may be helpful if you were thinking of getting either book.

If you use X-Ways…..you need the X-Ways Guide, no matter how long you have been using X-Ways.  When I asked Eric to help me write this book, he ran with it and did a super job of helping create an easy to read guide to using a very powerful forensic tool.  I have more than a ton of emails of how the book converted Encase/FTK primary users into XWF primary users.

As for the Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard, that has also helped more than a few examiners close a case with a simple (yet elusive) tip, trick, method, or process that saves hours, if not days, of work.  Again, even if you have been doing forensics for a long time, nothing says you can’t learn or relearn something you may not know or have forgotten.

Thanks again to everyone.

Brett

 

Hey look! Now there is a book on FTK.

FTK
http://amzn.to/O38eWh

I previously posted that a book on FTK is sure to come along, since we have the best book of X-Ways and the other book on Encase.  Now comes a book on FTK.  Just like the XWF Guide or the upcoming Encase guide, I wouldn’t see any reason for a FTK user to not have a book on FTK.

It makes sense to have “the” book on X-Ways, “the” book on Encase, and “the” book on FTK.  By having books on your major forensic suites, it is easier to compare what suite “A” does compared to tools “B” and “C” as well as how to get from point A to B using each tool.

So….how about that book on ProDiscover?  Anyone?  Grab the opportunity before someone else does.  I promise to buy it, as I have already ordered the FTK and Encase books.

I have brief reviews on my favorite DF books at http://winfe.wordpress.com/books/

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FTK
http://amzn.to/O38eWh

encase
http://amzn.to/P9XxCl

Xways-Cover
http://amzn.to/1gfx0t5

Not X-Ways, but of interest to Encase users

Computer Forensics and Digital Investigation with EnCase Forensic

encase
http://amzn.to/1eY02wn

 

I know, this has nothing to do with X-Ways Forensics.  But hey, the X-Ways Practitioner’s Guide was first…

Practically, this seems like a good book for Encase users to park on the shelf (while the X-Ways Practitioner’s Guide sits on your desk next to your keyboard).

So, when is that book on “FTK” coming out….and who is going to write it?…And if you do want to write it, give Syngress a shout.

WinFE (and of course, XWF)

Taking WinFE to even another level on a multiboot thumbdrive.  Very cool, but I spread this word to you because there are few things in life neater than a forensically bootable CD/USB with X-Ways Forensics.

From Hacking Exposed: Adding the WinFE Image to the Multiboot Thumbdrive Image (Video)

http://hackingexposedcomputerforensicsblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/daily-blog-248-adding-winfe-image-to.html

A gathering of the X-Ways users in Australia

The X-Ways Users Conference is here in a few weeks.  My kind of conference: Australia and fellow X-Ways users! 

Maybe next year for me…but it sure would make for a good vacation, I mean, training trip.

Another reason to use, try, or at least just learn about XWF

Not that many years ago, you would not find a requirement of having experience with X-Ways to apply for a DFIR job.   But now, some jobs recommend it and yet some others require it.  This is not to say the other big players (Encase, Accessdata, etc..) are not needed or useful, just that XWF has made it to the same level at a price point that will probably not be beat with capabilities that still outpace other tools.

So……it makes sense to know a little about the tool that might put you over the edge for that next job.  Of course, you need to be competent too, but like I’ve said before, “beware the examiners that use X-Ways Forensics because they probably know what they are doing.”

one two three

For the future XWF users, check out www.x-ways.net for some details, download and read a quick guide, and when you move forward with XWF, buy the book 🙂