What should you consider when determining which data acquisition method to use?

A data acquisition system plays quite a vital role in the collection of data from any process that is ongoing. The data so collected provides the users with the required information so as to clearly understand the performance of the overall process along with the steps or areas that require improvement. So, it becomes extremely important to incorporate these systems into the process for better results. Now, the confusion that arises here is the choice of the system for the purpose of acquiring data. So, for the selection of the appropriate data acquisition system, considering a few of the important factors would be ideal. Please read through to find the important factors to consider at the time of setting up the data acquisition systems.

Time

First and foremost, you need to be clear about the duration of time for which you want the system to run without interruption. This time duration will make a significant impact on the choice of the hardware as well as the operating system. In an addition to this, if the processor gets stressed in continuously keeping up with the tasks, then there are high chances that the data flow might get backed up along with errors as a result of buffer overflow. The hard drives of the system are spinning which starts wearing out and also the time battery of the internal battery will stop functioning after a decade or earlier. So, the first thing to consider would be the time you want the system to run which in turn would allow you to make the right selection.

Source of Power

The next thing to consider is the source of power. You need to see whether the system will have an access to a source of power or if it needs its own power source. If the system for data acquisition has an access to the prime power, then it becomes much easier than supplying your own portable power of your own such as from a battery, solar panel, etc. The calculations of power, as well as energy utilisations, might be tricky for multi-mode operations. So, it is ideal to be conservative and take the measurements of power under the real-world conditions of operating.

Transmission of Data

The next thing to consider is the transmission of data from the system. You need to be sure whether the data acquisition system needs to transmit data remotely from the field or the plant or only local data storage is enough. This would help you in choosing the appropriate system. In an addition to this, you need to make sure whether you want the system to have the capability of storing & forwarding for the purpose of buffering the acquired data when the link is not available and continue to send when it is back online. Moreover, you need to decide on the storage you require and select the system as per that.

Access to the System

At the time of setting up a data acquisition system, you need to be clear about the fact that you need access to the system remotely for configuring it or checking its status or not. It also might happen that you need the acquisition parameters of the system to be modified for which access to the system is essential. Thus, you should be setting up a system for data acquisition that can be accessed remotely.

Data Acquiring and Processing

When you have planned to set up a data acquisition system, you need to decide beforehand whether you simply need to acquire raw data or you need the acquired data to be processed in some specific way after the acquisition process. Considering this factor is of immense importance in selecting the right system for data acquisition. If you simply need to acquire data from the process, a simple system would be sufficient. But in case you need the system to do some specialized tasks such as filtering, windowing, and other processes it would be requiring a CPU in the system to perform the tasks effectively.

Channels of Input

Finally, you need to check you channels of your input which would necessarily be a great determining factor where you need to be sure as to how your input channels look like. The driving factors to consider here are the sample rates, the channels or signals from which the data is to be acquired, the range of signals, and the synchronization. Considering all of these factors would enable you to choose the most appropriate data acquisition system.

Now, when you intend to set up a data acquisition system, you need to make sure to choose a trusted and reputed manufacturer like Gtek. With several years of experience in this field, Gtek would undoubtedly be the best choice in the case of data acquisition systems.

Demand for digital forensics services is dramatically increasing. According to a recent report, the digital forensics market is expected to grow from USD 3.14 billion to USD 5.37 billion between 2017 and 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate of over 9% per year (Research Reports World, 2021). This shift is due to various factors, including ongoing adoption of digital services, failure to properly secure computer networks, and a general increase in cybercrime (Research and Markets, 2021).

As a result, businesses need to increase their awareness of the cyberthreats they face (EC-Council, 2021a). This creates an incredible opportunity for individuals interested in a career in cybersecurity. Demand for digital forensic analysts and investigators in particular is exploding: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022) predicts that the forensic science job market will grow by 16% between 2020 and 2030—twice the average for all occupations—with digital forensic investigators in the U.S. earning a median annual salary of $78,746 (Salary.com, 2021).

A key component of digital forensics is data acquisition: the process of gathering and preserving digital evidence in a forensic investigation. Failure to adhere to appropriate legal standards in this process can tarnish any investigative effort. In this article, we’ll review the data acquisition process in the context of cybercrime investigations.

What Is a Cybercrime Investigation?

Data acquisition best practices are most important when dealing with cybercrime. The term “cybercrime” specifically refers to crimes committed using digital means, such as computers and other networked devices (EC-Council, 2021b). Cybercriminals illegally gain access to the computer or networked device of another individual or organization, which they then use for purposes such as financial theft or holding data hostage for ransom.

A cybercrime investigation generally includes two components:

• Finding the guilty party and collecting evidence to ensure their criminal conviction
• Ensuring that the individual or business who is the victim of the crime can recover the use of their devices and any money stolen

To preserve data integrity and ensure that guilty parties can be convicted in court, digital forensic investigations need to follow a particular procedure. Any digital forensic investigator therefore needs to fully understand appropriate data acquisition methods.

What Is Data Acquisition in Digital Forensics? ​

The gathering and recovery of sensitive data during a digital forensic investigation is known as data acquisition. Cybercrimes often involve the hacking or corruption of data. Digital forensic analysts need to know how to access, recover, and restore that data as well as how to protect it for future management. This involves producing a forensic image from digital devices and other computer technologies.

Digital forensic analysts must be fully trained in the process of data acquisition. However, they are not the only ones who should understand how data acquisition works. Other IT positions that require knowledge of data acquisition include data analyst, penetration tester, and ethical hacker.

Moreover, the entire organization should understand the basics of how cybercrime works, including the importance of not intruding into hacked computer systems. Just as in a real-life crime scene, a “civilian” who stumbles into a digital crime scene can inadvertently destroy evidence or otherwise corrupt the crime scene, impeding later investigation. This speaks to the need to ensure that an entire business operation has cybersecurity training that covers the basics of proper information technology use, anti-phishing techniques, and network security (EC-Council, 2020).

What Are the Most Commonly Used Data Acquisition Methods? ​

Certified computer examiners receive training in a range of data acquisition methods, as different situations may call for the use of different techniques. Digital forensic investigators need to be aware of the various types of data acquisition methods and should know when to choose one method over another. Above all, they need to make sure that the methods they choose do not damage the evidence in question. The most commonly used techniques are described below (Nelson et al., 2010). While other forms of data acquisition may also be used in some instances, this usually occurs only in highly specialized cases.

Bit-stream disk-to-image files

This is the most common data acquisition method in the event of a cybercrime. It involves cloning a disk drive, which allows for the complete preservation of all necessary evidence. Programs used to create bit-stream disk-to-image files include FTK, SMART, and ProDiscover, among others.

Bit-stream disk-to-disk files

When it is not possible to create an exact copy of a hard drive or network, different tools can be used to create a disk-to-disk copy. While certain parameters of the hard drive may be changed, the files will remain the same.

Logical acquisition

Logical acquisition involves collecting files that are specifically related to the case under investigation. This technique is typically used when an entire drive or network is too large to be copied.

Sparse acquisition

There are five steps in a digital forensics investigation, the first two of which are the most critical during data acquisition (EC-Council, 2021b):

• Identification
• Preservation
• Analysis
• Documentation
• Presentation

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, January 21). Forensic science technicians. In Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/forensic-science-technicians.htm

EC-Council. (2020). Phishing prevention solutions. https://aware.eccouncil.org/email-phishing.html

EC-Council. (2021a, January 23). What is cybersecurity awareness? Why do you need it? https://aware.eccouncil.org/what-is-cybersecurity-awareness.html

EC-Council. (2021b, September 9). Digital forensics. https://www.eccouncil.org/what-is-digital-forensics/

Nelson, B., Phillips, A., & Steuart, C. (2010). Guide to computer forensics and investigations (4th ed.). Cengage.

Research and Markets. (2021, June 14). The worldwide digital forensics industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% between 2020 to 2027 [Press release]. Globe Newswire. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/14/2246293/28124/en/The-Worldwide-Digital-Forensics-Industry-is-Expected-to-Grow-at-a-CAGR-of-13-Between-2020-to-2027.html

Research Reports World. (2021, September 6). Digital forensics market 2021 share growing rapidly with recent trends, development, revenue, demand and forecast to 2023 [Press release]. The Express Wire. https://www.theexpresswire.com/pressrelease/Digital-Forensics-Market-2021-Share-Growing-Rapidly-with-Recent-Trends-Development-Revenue-Demand-and-Forecast-to-2023_14115019

Salary.com. (2021, December 27). Digital forensic investigator salary in the United States. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/digital-forensic-investigator-salary

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