| The rise in popularity of cloud technology has given cyber criminals a new tool to help commit their crimes. With the increase in cyber warfare, the demand for computer forensics investigations has never been greater. This increased use of cloud technology has given light to the need for cloud computer forensics. The purpose of this assessment is to define cloud forensics, as well as what challenges are associated with these forensic investigations in the cloud. It is important to address these challenges since these types of investigations are becoming more prevalent. It will only be a matter of time before the challenges of a cloud forensics investigation will hinder the experts conducting the examination. The research conducted during this assessment provides definitions of both computer forensics as well as cloud technology. Once defined, cloud forensics was reviewed as well as the different dimensions of each challenge. These dimensions were divided into three categories, technological, organizational, and legal. Challenges that exist in a cloud forensic investigation are discussed with regard to the aforementioned categories. The lack of policies and procedures, as well as the lack of personnel and experts in the field of cloud forensics, represent major issues that must be addressed. The research that is presented will bring those issues to light and produce a better understanding of what challenges exist throughout a cloud forensic investigation.;Keywords: Cybersecurity, Dr. Albert Orbanti, computer forensics, cloud, technology, legal, investigation. |
