SECURITY 508SECURITY 508


GIAC Certification Available
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Course PDF

Unpatched, unprotected computers connected to the internet are compromised in less than three days! In the commercial sector, TJ Maxx, Hannaford, and TD Ameritrade are victims of large-scale data breaches and intrusions. From these attacks, personal or account information of more than 100 million individuals has been compromised. In the government sector, cyber attacks on government agencies and contractors, originating from China, have proved difficult to suppress. In both situations, incident response and mitigation, class action lawsuits, and fines place remediation costs in the billions of dollars.

Security 508: Computer Forensics, Investigation, and Response will give you a firm understanding of computer forensics tools and techniques to investigate data breach intrusions, tech-savvy rogue employees, advanced persistent threats, and complex digital forensic cases.

Utilizing advances in spear phishing, web application attacks, and persistent malware these new sophisticated attackers advance rapidly through your network. Forensic investigators must master a variety of operating systems, investigation techniques, incident response tactics, and even legal issues in order to solve challenging cases. Security 508: Computer Forensics, Investigation, and Response will teach you critical forensic analysis techniques and tools in a hands-on setting for both Windows- and Linux-based investigations.

We will examine various investigation methodologies and techniques, discovering new places to find evidence and discover the tracks of a cyber criminal or hacker, who is trying to stay hidden inside your network.

Learning more than just how to use a forensic tool, you will be able to demonstrate how the tool functions step-by-step. You will become skilled with new tools, such as the Sleuthkit, Foremost, and the HELIX3 Pro Forensics Live CD. SANS hands-on technical course arms you with a deep understanding of the forensic methodology, tools, and techniques to solve advanced computer forensics cases.

FIGHT CRIME. UNRAVEL INCIDENTS... ONE BYTE AT A TIME. We not only teach a firm understanding of the computer forensics tools and techniques, we also teach you the legally approved forensic methodology that will result in success.

Computer Forensics Course Prerequisites

Strong recommendation: Each student should attend Security 408: Computer Forensic Essentials prior to taking this course or have equivalent digital forensic experience in the field. This course is a designed to be a perfect follow on for those that have already attended Security 408: Computer Forensic Essentials.

If you are just beginning in computer forensics or information security, then this course is not appropriate for you as the basics of computer forensics, system administration, and hacker techniques will not be covered.

You will Receive with this Course

Free SANS Investigative Forensic Toolkit (SIFT) Advanced

As a part of this course you will receive a SANS Investigative Forensic Toolkit (SIFT) Advanced, you will gain first-hand experience in collecting and analyzing evidence recovered from a system under investigation. The toolkit consists of:

  • Hard Drive USB mini adapter kit for SATA/IDE hard drives 1.8"/2.5"/3.5"/5.25" (Read and Write)
  • SANS VMware based Forensic Analysis Workstation
  • Course DVD loaded with case examples, tools, and documentation
  • Best-selling book "File System Forensic Analysis" by Brian Carrier
  • New Addition! The SIFT Kit Advanced will now include a single version Helix3 Pro that will be individually licensed to each student.
    • Works on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
    • Simplified Live Analysis with both Memory and Disk Acquisition
    • Built in Memory Analysis
    • Boots most Intel x86 machines including Mac OS X

SANS Computer Forensic Website - forensics.sans.org

The learning does not end when class is over. SANS Computer Forensic Website is a community-focused site offering digital forensics professionals a one-stop forensic resource to learn, discuss and share current developments in the field. It also provides information regarding SANS forensics training, GIAC certification, and upcoming events. Visit http://forensics.sans.org. New content is added regularly, so please visit often. In addition, do not forget to share this information with your fellow forensic professionals.




  • Course Topics
    • Data Breach Cases, Intrusion Analysis, and Advanced Investigative Strategy
    • Evidence Acquisition/Analysis/Preservation Laws and Guidelines
    • U.S. Laws Investigators Should Know
    • E.U. Laws Investigators Should Know
    • Forensic Reports and Testimony
    • Computer Forensics Methodology
    • File System Essentials
    • Linux/Unix File System Examination
    • Windows FAT File System Examination
    • Windows NTFS File System Examination
    • Key Forensic Acquisition/Analysis Concepts
    • Volatile Evidence Gathering and Analysis
    • Image File Conversion (E01, Raw, AFF)
    • Windows System Restore and Shadow Volume Copy Exploitation
    • Evidence Integrity and Chain of Custody
    • Advanced Forensic Evidence Acquisition and Imaging
    • File System Timeline Analysis
    • Forensic Analysis Key Methods
    • File System and Data Layer Examination
    • Metadata and File Name Layer Examination
    • File Sorting and Hash Comparisons
    • Live Response and Volatile Evidence Collection
    • Key Windows File System Analysis Concepts
    • Windows Registry Analysis
    • Windows Internal File Metadata
    • Application Footprinting and Software Forensics
    • Automated GUI Based Forensic Toolkits
  • Who Should Attend
    • Incident Response Team Members who are responding to complex security incidents/intrusions and need to utilize computer forensics to help solve their cases
    • Computer Forensic professionals who want to solidify and expand their understanding of file system forensic and incident response related topics
    • Law enforcement officers, federal agents, or detectives who want to master computer forensics and expand their investigative skill set to include data breach investigations, intrusion cases, and tech-savvy cases
    • Information security professionals with some background in hacker exploits, penetration testing, and incident response
    • Information security managers who would like to master digital forensics in order to understand information security implications and potential litigation related issues or manage investigative teams
    • Anyone with a firm technical background who might be asked to investigate a data breach incident, intrusion case, or investigates individuals that are considered technical savvy
SECURITY 508 Upcoming Events
Event Location Dates Delivery Method
SANS SelfStudyBooks & MP3s OnlyAnytimeSelf Paced
SANS OnDemandOnlineAnytimeSelf Paced
SANS London 2009London, United KingdomNov 28, 2009 - Dec 06, 2009Live Event
Community SANS Tucson 2009Tucson, AZNov 30, 2009 - Dec 05, 2009Community SANS
Community SANS Colorado Springs 2009Colorado Springs, CONov 30, 2009 - Dec 05, 2009Community SANS
Mentor Session - SEC508Atlanta, GADec 02, 2009 - Feb 17, 2010Mentor
Mentor Session - SEC508Medellín, ColombiaDec 02, 2009 - Dec 04, 2009Mentor
SANS CDI East 2009Washington DCDec 11, 2009 - Dec 18, 2009Live Event
Mentor Session - Security 508Charlotte, NCJan 14, 2010 - Mar 18, 2010Mentor
Mentor Session - Security 508Denver, COJan 19, 2010 - Mar 23, 2010Mentor
Community SANS Lake Tahoe 2010Lake Tahoe, CAJan 25, 2010 - Jan 30, 2010Community SANS
SANS Phoenix 2010Phoenix, AZFeb 14, 2010 - Feb 20, 2010Live Event
SANS India 2010Bangalore, IndiaFeb 22, 2010 - Feb 27, 2010Live Event
SANS 2010Orlando, FLMar 06, 2010 - Mar 15, 2010Live Event
Mentor Session - SEC508Greeley, COMar 11, 2010 - May 13, 2010Mentor
Community SANS Boston 2010Boston, MAMar 15, 2010 - Mar 20, 2010Community SANS
SANS vLive! - SEC 508 - Rob LeeSANS vLive! SEC508 - 201003, VAMar 23, 2010 - Apr 29, 2010
SANS Northern Virginia Bootcamp 2010Reston, VAApr 06, 2010 - Apr 13, 2010Live Event
Mentor Session - SEC508Boise, IDSep 28, 2010 - Nov 30, 2010Mentor
"This is awsome! We're seeing details that most people don't even know exist" - John Wright, Info Tech, Inc.
"The class provided in-depth, real world, hands-on information" - Robert Dale Drollinger, General Dynamics
SANS Institute