Digital Forensics in Evolving: 3 Trends to Watch Out for in 2023

Over time with rapid technological advances, Digital Forensics has gained immense importance as threat groups are constantly threatening the privacy and security of user data. The adoption rate of forensics has grown due to the proliferation of cyber intrusions in public and private sectors, as well as developments in TTPs of adversaries across the globe. As per a recent study by Mordor Intelligence, the Global Digital Forensics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.97% during the forecast period (2021-2026). Increasing dependency on connected devices has substantially elevated the possibility of becoming a cybercrime victim. This, followed by a rising spike in data breaches, ransomware, and phishing attacks is driving the need for digital forensics to help organizations identify the problem and shorten the attack surface.

We will now have a look at the growing trends for digital forensics, which are all set to make a huge impact on cybercrime investigations.  

• Cloud Forensics

Cloud forensics deals with cybercrime investigations in cloud environments. This field of forensics is growing in terms of popularity and application as a majority of businesses worldwide are on the cloud. As per Flexera’s State of the Cloud report, 94% of companies are using cloud computing in some form, including 91% public, 72% private, and 69% hybrid. Cloud forensics brings several advantages for organizations, including:

• Visualization of data in a unified format
  • Effortlessly extract, preserve and analyze cloud-based content
  • Greatly minimizes (or even eliminates) sampling risk

• Social Media Forensics

The application of social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and many more, has significantly grown with the adoption of Web 2.0 and Industry 4.0. These platforms are now a primary channel for users to interact and socialize with people, upload photos and files, share ideas and get engaged in different activities. You should not be surprised to know that around 60% of the world’s population uses social media now. Taking these situations into consideration, cybercriminals are getting various opportunities to exploit a user’s account and initiate attacks like link baiting, photo morphing, cyber-bullying, and shopping scams.

So, social media forensics is holding its mark firmly in the market as more and more people are getting connected to social media.

• IoT Forensics

We often hear that the future is connected, and it is absolutely correct as we are now surrounded by a plethora of smart devices, be it fitness trackers, home appliances, or smart cars. This implies more and more data is being generated and collected, which might include health, financial and geographical details. As per an estimate by International Data Corporation (IDC), there will be 41.6 billion IoT devices in 2025, capable of generating 79.4 zettabytes (ZB) of data.

So, as the number of IoT devices is constantly growing and they are highly prone to several security threats, the field of IoT forensics is experiencing tremendous growth. IoT forensics actually depends on the sensors installed in devices, like smart kitchen appliances or wearables, that gathers and transfers data to the cloud where it is stored, analyzed, and made available to intended recipients.