Acquisition
Digital Forensics Acquisition Documentation
A practical guide to recording forensic sources, destinations, methods, tools, versions, write protection, timestamps, hashes, errors, and outputs.
Why acquisition documentation matters
A forensic tool may create a technical log, but the case still needs a clear record of what the examiner intended to acquire, what source was used, where the output went, and what occurred during the process.
Case and examiner context
Record the case number, examiner, date, workstation, authority reference, and acquisition purpose.
Source information
Depending on the evidence type:
- Device type
- Manufacturer and model
- Serial number
- Capacity
- Interface
- Operating system
- State on receipt
- Physical condition
- Power state
- Identifiers such as IMEI or asset number
Destination information
Record:
- Destination path and media
- Available capacity
- Filesystem
- Output filename
- Approved storage location
- Preparation or wiping procedure where applicable
Method and tool
Record:
- Acquisition type
- Tool name and exact version
- Adapter or forensic bridge
- Write-protection method
- Settings that materially affect the output
Time
Capture the start time, completion time, timezone, interruptions, restarts, and relevant device-time differences.
Integrity values
Document the algorithm, source-side value when available, tool-reported value, post-acquisition verification value, and any mismatch or error.
Errors and exceptions
Record the message, point in the workflow, examiner response, whether processing continued, and the effect on the output.
Generated outputs
List image files, extraction files, segments, logs, screenshots, manifests, packets, and verification reports.
Where ByteCase Acquire fits
ByteCase Acquire organizes this supporting record around acquisitions performed in established forensic tools. It does not acquire or parse evidence.