Master Cyber Investigation and Digital Forensics

Name: Master Cyber Investigation and Digital Forensics
Rating: 4.4 (19 reviews)

Explore cybercrime investigation, legal evidence handling, and ethical cybersecurity practices

Role Play

Created byStarweaver Experts, Paul Siegel, Gilbert George

Last updated 5/2026

English

What you'll learn

Understand what digital forensics is and how it is used in real-world cybercrime investigations.
Learn why digital forensics is important in cybersecurity, especially when investigating and responding to cyber incidents.
Apply standard methods to collect, preserve, and handle digital evidence while maintaining proper chain of custody.
Perform basic digital forensics analysis using industry-standard tools to investigate systems and digital media.
Follow structured steps in cybercrime investigation, ensuring proper evidence of handling, validation and maintaining chain of custody.
Gain practical exposure to cyber forensic techniques used in modern cyber investigations.
Develop skills aligned with roles such as digital forensic analysts and cyber forensic investigators.
Create clear, concise and structured reports to document findings from digital forensics and support organizational decisions.

Course content

15 sections • 57 lectures • 4h 22m total length

Intro Video to Course4:30
Introduction to the course, key topics to be covered, and call to action.
Welcome to the Course: Course Overview2:52

Introduction to Section2:29
Introduction to the section, key topics to be covered, and call to action.
What Is Digital Forensics?7:49
A brief discussion on what digital forensics is and its applications
The Forensic Process7:01
Discussion on the 4 processes involved in digital forensics investigation
Types of Digital Evidence5:28
Discussion on the different types of digital evidence and where to locate them in the computer system.

Where Digital Forensics Fits in the Cybersecurity Life Cycle5:14
Discussion on where digital forensics seats in cyber security life-cycle
Real-World Use Cases: Insider Threats3:50
Providing real world scenarios on the application of digital forensics in real threat attacks on organizations.
Potential Sources of Evidence9:34
A demo showing how to acquire data from a windows system. From registry, browsers, logfiles, etc
A Proactive Approach to Network Forensics Intrusion Using Dynamic Features Selec0:14

Chain of Custody and Admissibility in Court3:56
Discussion on chain custody, and its role in the admissibility of evidence, and the role of forensics analyst in providing expert witnesses in court
Privacy, Consent, and Ethical Boundaries5:46
Discussion on the need for privacy and ethics in forensics investigation.
Regional and International Laws Impacting Digital Evidence5:23
Discussion on the international laws and guidelines governing digital evidence
What Is Digital Chain of Custody0:11
Analysis of a Case Study on Digital Forensics Using FTK Toolkit and Autopsy0:09
Legal, Ethical, and Professional Considerations

Introduction to Section1:31
Introduction to the section, key topics to be covered, and call to action.
Types of Acquisition and Image Formats6:29
Discussion on type of acquisition and Image formats.
Precautions During Evidence Handling4:40
Discussion on the precaution while handling digital evidence
Write Blockers and Imaging Best Practices3:25
Discussion the use of write blockers while imaging digital sources of evidence and best practices.

Maintaining Forensic Soundness3:14
Discussion on maintain forensics soundness and readiness in the industry
Chain of Custody: Concept and Importance3:26
Discussion of the chain of custody and evidence management
Labelling and Evidence Bagging Procedures3:46
Discussion on evidence handling, storage and management.
Protecting Digital Evidence Integrity and Preserving Chain of Custody0:14
Using DD and MD5/SHA256 Hash on Linux0:08
Preserving Evidence and Chain of Custody

Introduction to Section1:48
Introduction to the section, key topics to be covered, and call to action.
Understanding NTFS, FAT32, and EXT File Systems6:04
Discussion on the different file systems and how evidence can be acquired, and area of interest in the file systems.
Metadata: MAC Times (Modified, Accessed, Created)6:00
Demonstration on timeline analysis and metadata in digital evidence presentation and analysis
Recovering Hidden, Deleted, or Orphaned Files5:53
Demonstration on the recovery of deleted files and encrypted files.

Analyzing Browser History and Cookies5:51
Discussion on the importance of browser history analysis in digital forensics and time line analysis
Prefetch Files and Registry Analysis (Windows)8:03
Demonstration on the use of prefetch, registry files on windows for digital investigation analysis
Tracking Document Access and USB Device Usage9:54
Demonstration on the tracking of document opened and USB accessed during forensic investigations
Interpreting Log Files (Windows Event Logs, Syslog)7:42
Interpreting windows logs for access control management in digital investigations.

Timeline Creation Using Autopsy9:22
Time line analysis and the usage of autopsy in digital forensics investigation
Correlating Data Across Artifacts and Sources6:05
Discussion on evidence correlation and data sources in digital forensics.
Interpreting Anomalies and Suspicious Gaps6:36
Interpreting network anomalies and suspicious gaps in network logs
An Abstraction Based Approach for Reconstruction of TimeLine in Digital Forensic0:14
Using Autopsy for Forensic Analysis0:07
Timeline Creation and Evidence Correlation
Demonstrating the Importance of Proper Evidence Handling

Requirements

Basic computer literacy and familiarity with operating systems (Windows and/or Linux) are recommended. A general curiosity about cybersecurity, digital forensics, or cyber crime investigation will help learners engage more effectively with this digital forensics in cyber security course.

Description

The Master Cyber Investigation and Digital Forensics specialisation is designed to provide a comprehensive, practical, and ethically grounded understanding of digital forensics principles, investigative methodologies, and forensic toolkits. This program helps learners understand what digital forensics in cybersecurity is and why digital forensics is important in modern cybersecurity environments.

Through this course, participants will gain expertise in digital forensics analysis, uncovering digital evidence, analysing compromised systems, recovering deleted or hidden data, tracing unauthorised activity and validating the integrity of digital environments. The curriculum follows a structured approach aligned with real-world cybercrime investigations, combining theory with case studies, hands-on labs, and guided forensic exercises.

Learners will build job-ready skills in computer forensics, including file system analysis, memory forensics, disk imaging, log analysis, chain-of-custody documentation, and report building while learning to work with industry-standard forensic tools and frameworks. The specialisation emphasises a holistic understanding of the entire digital investigation lifecycle, from evidence identification and preservation to analysis, interpretation, and legal reporting, thereby mirroring real cybercrime investigation process workflows. You will gain insights into how cybercriminals operate and how digital traces are created and concealed, and how cyber forensic examiners reconstruct events using advanced digital forensic tools with precision, patience, and methodological rigour.

By the end of this program, learners will be prepared to perform professional digital investigations, contribute to incident response, and support cybercrime investigation and digital forensics efforts within organisations. They will also develop the confidence to evaluate forensic findings, communicate technical conclusions clearly, and support decision-making processes during cybersecurity incidents. This specialisation empowers aspiring investigators, IT professionals, and security practitioners with the technical expertise, analytical mindset, and ethical foundation required to navigate the rapidly expanding world of digital forensics while promoting integrity, resilience, and responsible investigative practices across modern digital environments.

Who this course is for:

This course is ideal for IT professionals transitioning into cybersecurity, aspiring digital forensics investigators, and students interested in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics.
It is also well-suited for law enforcement officers, legal professionals, and anyone curious about understanding how cybercrimes are investigated using digital evidence or building a career in digital forensic investigation.

Master Cyber Investigation and Digital Forensics

What you'll learn

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Course content

Course Introduction2 lectures • 7min

Introduction to Digital Forensics4 lectures • 23min

Scope of Digital Forensics in Cybersecurity4 lectures • 19min

Legal, Ethical, and Professional Considerations5 lectures • 15min

The Evidence Acquisition Process4 lectures • 16min

Using Forensic Tools for Disk Imaging3 lectures • 18min

Preserving Evidence and Chain of Custody5 lectures • 11min

Analyzing File Systems and Metadata4 lectures • 20min

Investigating User Activity and System Artifacts4 lectures • 32min

Timeline Creation and Evidence Correlation6 lectures • 22min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: