The Art of Memory Forensics - by Michael Hale Ligh & Andrew Case & Jamie Levy & Aaron Walters (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Memory forensics is the art of analyzing computer memory (RAM) to solve digital crimes. As a follow-up to the best seller Malware Analyst's Cookbook, experts in the fields of malware, security, and digital forensics bring you a step-by-step guide to memory forensics--now the most sought after skill in the digital forensics and incident response fields.

Beginning with introductory concepts and moving toward the advanced, The Art of Memory Forensics: Detecting Malware and Threats in Windows, Linux, and Mac Memory is based on a five day training course that the authors have presented to hundreds of students. It is the only book on the market that focuses exclusively on memory forensics and how to deploy such techniques properly. Discover memory forensics techniques:

• How volatile memory analysis improves digital investigations
• Proper investigative steps for detecting stealth malware and advanced threats
• How to use free, open source tools for conducting thorough memory forensics
• Ways to acquire memory from suspect systems in a forensically sound manner

The next era of malware and security breaches are more sophisticated and targeted, and the volatile memory of a computer is often overlooked or destroyed as part of the incident response process. The Art of Memory Forensics explains the latest technological innovations in digital forensics to help bridge this gap. It covers the most popular and recently released versions of Windows, Linux, and Mac, including both the 32 and 64-bit editions.

From the Back Cover

SOPHISTICATED DISCOVERY AND ANALYSIS FOR THE NEXT WAVE OF DIGITAL ATTACKS

The Art of Memory Forensics, a follow-up to the bestselling Malware Analyst's Cookbook, is a practical guide to the rapidly emerging investigative technique for digital forensics, incident response, and law enforcement. Memory forensics has become a must-have skill for combating the next era of advanced malware, targeted attacks, security breaches, and online crime. As breaches and attacks become more sophisticated, analyzing volatile memory becomes ever more critical to the investigative process. This book provides a comprehensive guide to performing memory forensics for Windows, Linux, and Mac systems, including x64 architectures. Based on the authors' popular training course, coverage includes memory acquisition, rootkits, tracking user activity, and more, plus case studies that illustrate the real-world application of the techniques presented. Bonus materials include industry-applicable exercises, sample memory dumps, and cutting-edge memory forensics software.

Memory forensics is the art of analyzing RAM to solve digital crimes. Conventional incident response often overlooks volatile memory, which contains crucial information that can prove or disprove the system's involvement in a crime, and can even destroy it completely. By implementing memory forensics techniques, analysts are able to preserve memory resident artifacts which often provides a more efficient strategy for investigating modern threats.

In The Art of Memory Forensics, the Volatility Project's team of experts provides functional guidance and practical advice that helps readers to:

• Acquire memory from suspect systems in a forensically sound manner
• Learn best practices for Windows, Linux, and Mac memory forensics
• Discover how volatile memory analysis improves digital investigations
• Delineate the proper investigative steps for detecting stealth malware and advanced threats
• Use free, open source tools to conduct thorough memory forensics investigations
• Generate timelines, track user activity, find hidden artifacts, and more

The companion website provides exercises for each chapter, plus data that can be used to test the various memory analysis techniques in the book. Visit our website at www.wiley.com/go/memoryforensics.

About the Author

Andrew Case is a Digital Forensics Researcher specializing in memory, disk, and network forensics.

Jamie Levy is a Senior Researcher and Developer, targeting memory, network, and malware forensics analysis.

AAron Walters is founder and lead developer of the Volatility Project, President of the Volatility Foundation, and Chair of Open Memory Forensics Workshop.