CSSI Data Recovery
Data recovery is an operation on a digital media/ storage device to recover the file/folder that may have been accidentally deleted. We, at CSSI, use state-of-the-art tools to recover lost data.
Before data recovery, media analysis is done just to know the extent of damage.
Step 1: Determining the functionality of the device to determine if the device has been physically damaged, or there is a logical issue with the device.
Step 2:In case of logical issues with the device, it is analysed with our proprietary tools to examine the issue. It is necessary to monitor progress. If the hard drive starts making unusual noises, we stop scanning immediately and remove media from system. It means drive having some other problem.
Step 3: Monitor the rate of progress for the utility, usually there will be a count of sectors read, the count should steadily increase and it should not stop till scanning ends. If the count or progress does not stop, the scan should be terminated and the computer powered down.
Step 4: Next step is to analyse the condition of the data recovered or cloning, whether the files are opening correctly or the file are corrupted.
Step 5: It is important to determine if a drive has any physical failure or clicking sound before attempting to recover the data using a utility. By the analysis of the drive, we will contact or inform to the concern person for further approvals.
The evaluation of a device does not take long periods of time. It can take anywhere from few hours to 48 hours, depending upon the size of the media. It may take longer depending upon the unexpected problems that we may run into, like the health of the device.
The required files are only found when you have the whole data tree structure in front of you and for recovering that data structure, we have to scan the whole drive to retrieve all the data. This scanning would be preceded sector by sector and take a big amount of time and efforts to scan the complete drive and this is the only reason why the cost is equivalent for more files or less files. In some cases of bad sectors drive cloning and recovery could take several days.
Of course. At CSSI, we deal with a several OEM’s storage device, including SD cards, and other types of flash drives. We use a number of data recovery tools to recover deleted data from a wide range of devices like SD cards, external hard drives, flash drives, and other USB based drives.
The important thing is to stop using your media immediately. Continuous use will decrease the chances of a healthy data recovery, as continued usage will lead the deleted data to be lost forever by being overwritten by new data.
Clean Room lab is a dust-free environment required to open hard-drive for data recovery when the hard disk has physical damage. CSSI have a state-of-the-art Clean Room facilities to ensure that no harm comes to your data.
We recover data from all kinds of data storage devices, from Hard disks and SSDs to any kind of USB storage devices, from Flash drives, such as Sd cards, to RAID servers with RAID 0, RAID1, RAID5 and RAID6 configured devices. We even provide services for Network data disasters and Cloud technology.
In case of formatted or factory reset, mobiles recovery is not possible. After formatting the encryption keys got changed, so data access is not possible.
Yes, data recovery is possible from CCTV/ DVR drives.
If you have any other queries regarding data recovery, contact us. We will be happy to help you out!
Digital Forensic
Digital Forensics involves the examination of data within computer systems. The initial step for a Digital Forensics Investigator is to determine the investigation’s purpose and objectives during initial consultation. We collaborate with you to locate your data, document the legal chain of custody for the media, create a byte-by-byte media image with write blocker, and preserve the original. The forensic analysis investigates into both visible data and data that is hidden from the operating system, including deleted data that hasn’t been overwritten.
The investigator also navigates the legal complexities of electronic evidence, covering relevant case law, the discovery process, privilege protection, and collaboration with attorneys and other professionals.
Additionally, the examiner seeks to uncover all files on the system, including active, hidden, password-protected, and encrypted files. Often, the investigation reveals data that the average user cannot access, such as fragments found in “slack space,” the area allocated for existing files. Specialized skills, tools, and software are required to retrieve this information.
A Digital Forensics expert can recover deleted files and other data that haven’t been overwritten. The operating system continually writes data to the hard drive, occasionally overwriting extra data. Deleted files remain on the drive until overwritten or wiped.
At the end of the investigation, the Digital Forensics expert provides a detailed written analysis of the computer system and a digital copy of all relevant data to the client.
The cost of a Digital forensic investigation varies greatly, depending on the number of computers/laptops involved and the complexity of the recovery of evidence. A complete computer forensic examination is an analysis of the entire computer’s media, includes Registry analysis for user activity, file indexing, keywords searching and includes a detailed written report. A reasonable quote can be obtained prior to the investigation’s start. Remember, Digital forensic investigations have an unusually high return on investment!
Digital forensics is different from data recovery, which involves retrieving electronic data after physical damage, like a hard drive failure. Digital forensics goes beyond this and serves as a tool to (1) ascertain facts involving your employee/client, (2) fulfill your obligation to prevent data spoliation, (3) gather all relevant evidence from the opposing party, similar to a Request for Production of Documents, and (4) determine if specific devices were used in the conjunction of a crime and/or policy violation.
In anticipation of lawsuit, analyzing relevant computers is an effective way to preserve evidence and prevent spoliation. It also helps you acquire crucial information for your legal strategies.
During litigation, the lawyer must decide if a Request for Production of Documents will yield all relevant evidence. Consider whether you want to discover only part of the relevant information (visible to your opponent’s operating system) or all of it (including deleted, hidden, and orphaned data). It’s plausible that beneficial information would be saved on a computer, while harmful information might be deleted, hidden, or made invisible. For instance, in sexual harassment cases, it’s common to find deleted emails and other data invisible to the operating system that significantly impact the case. Digital forensic analysis retrieves all emails, files, and visible data, as well as hidden data. Often, this hidden data can severely amend the nature of a claim or defense and influence settlement strategies.
Whenever Desktops/Laptops may have been used improperly, it’s crucial to consult a digital forensic expert. Only a computer forensic investigator can preserve, extract, and analyze vital data that records the traces of inappropriate use.
Companies that fall victim to claim or to a computer crime may be inadvertently destroying evidence in their efforts to find the perpetrators. You only have one opportunity to collect the evidence you need to prove your case.
HR departments often send in internal IT staff to retrieve any evidence of, if any, mismanagement and might unintentionally ruin the evidence. Although the internal IT staff is often highly knowledgeable regarding their working environment and the technology employed within, digital forensic investigations are best performed by external certified experts.
Due to the nature of the forensic analysis process coupled with the requirements in preserving evidence and chain-of-custody requirements, the court system requires that investigations are performed by certified professionals. Therefore, it is a wise business decision to consult a professional certified computer forensic team as soon as possible.
Professional, third party companies like CSSI – are experienced in this type of work. Our involvement in the matter is neutral and unbiased and evidence is collected in a scientific manner. Evidence obtained and submitted by certified professionals is likely to carry much more weight in front of opposing counsel, corporate management, a jury or any other party.
The first step to take in this situation is to immediately cease any and all use of the computer in question. Any further use of this computer may damage any relevant evidence. If the suspected computer or terminal is turned off, it should remain off. Be sure to secure the computer at this point to prevent persons from unknowingly using it.
If the computer is on, it is important that you do not go through a normal shutdown process. Instead, call us for an immediate consultation on what to do next. It is also imperative that you do not allow the internal IT staff to conduct a preliminary investigation. At this point, all you have is information and data; there is no evidence. Unless your IT staff is certified in computer forensics and trained on evidentiary procedures, they have not maintained chain of custody or followed other accepted evidence techniques. Secondly, even if proper evidence handling techniques have been used, the collection process itself has altered, and likely tainted, the data collected. By opening, printing, and saving files, the meta-data has been irrevocably changed. Lastly, the act of turning on the computer changes caches, temporary files, and slack file space which, along with the alteration of the meta-data, may have seriously damaged or destroyed any evidence that was on the computer.
Contact us immediately for a incident response.