The hottest Forensics Substack posts right now

Marty Goddard played a key role in creating the rape kit, which helped provide evidence of sexual assault. This changed how incidents were taken seriously in the legal system.
The history of the rape kit shows that many women were not believed when they reported assaults. It highlights a culture that often dismissed survivors.
This story also reveals how women's contributions can be overlooked in innovation. Even when they create important tools, men often get the credit.

Native Americans were using horses over a hundred years before previously thought, shaping a new view of early Plains societies.
Genetic analysis confirms migration and intermixing with Persians on Africa's Swahili coast, challenging long-held theories.
Bronze Age Menorca revealed evidence of the use of powerful drugs, shedding light on ancient rituals and practices.

Strong evidence supports the theory of the COVID-19 virus originating in a lab.
Issues with zoonotic origin papers have further strengthened the case for a lab origin.
Evidence suggests a potential cover-up related to the lab origin of the virus.

Peter Stout is leading efforts to reform forensics with blind testing in crime labs.
Independence of crime labs from law enforcement is crucial for reliability.
Transparency and adherence to scientific principles are key in improving expert testimony reliability.

To take a forensics image of Hunter Biden's laptop drive, a similar model MacBook Pro is needed with a non-standard hard-drive connector.
Experts can provide inaccurate opinions when not directly involved or without thorough research.
Asking techies to comment without detailed work can lead to biased conclusions and contribute to the spread of conspiracy theories.

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Not all observables listed in threat intel reporting should be labeled as 'IOCs', as many of them don't indicate compromise.
The distinction between IOCs and non-IOCs in threat hunting can help make threat intel reports more actionable for organizations.
Differentiating between internally-focused threat detection (IOCs) and externally-focused threat hunting (exothrunting) observables can enhance threat detection efforts.

Information security is a broad field with many areas of expertise, so it's important to choose a focus that interests you.
Key roles in information security include product security, operations security, applied security, and threat analysis.
To excel in information security, developing strong programming skills, mastering tools like IDA Pro, and understanding concepts in areas like cryptography and network security are essential.

Pi Day can be annoying for some mathematicians due to the overemphasis on the beauty of the Pi formula and memorizing digits of Pi.
The beauty in mathematics is not just about formulas like Pi, but also in the precise form of logical arguments and the way pieces fit together like a complex mechanism.
Fourier analysis, involving Fourier transform and harmonics, is a powerful tool used in various scientific fields beyond Pi Day celebrations.

The incident of Huyremy, known as 'hacker number 1 in Vietnam,' sparked a heated debate in the IT community regarding the evidence presented by C15 and Huyremy's denial.
The legal aspect highlights the responsibility of the owner of the computer and internet connection used in the cyber crime incident, emphasizing the need to provide evidence to prove innocence.
C15 demonstrated expertise in computer forensics, raising doubts about Huyremy's claim of being a top hacker due to the evidence left behind.

Prioritize encryption to protect your privacy and ensure security. Make use of tools like Tor to anonymize internet traffic and defend against network surveillance.
Securely deleting data is critical. Traditional methods like formatting a hard drive or overwriting data may not be effective. Consider encryption to ensure data destruction without physically tampering with drives.
Implement a layered approach to security, including encryption of various files and using different passwords for different websites. Be cautious and understand that true safety comes from avoiding illegal activities.