Understanding Hard Disks and File Systems


Book Description

Are you curious about how your computer stores and manages data? "Understanding Hard Disks and File Systems" is your go-to guide for diving into the world of computer storage. This eBook breaks down the essentials of hard disk drives, solid-state drives, and the various file systems that keep your data organized and accessible. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a student, or an IT professional, you'll find clear explanations and practical insights to enhance your understanding of: The differences between HDDs and SSDs and their impact on performance How data is stored, retrieved, and managed on different types of drives Popular file systems like NTFS, FAT32, ext4, and others Tips for optimizing your storage for better performance and reliability Common issues and troubleshooting techniques With straightforward language and real-world examples, "Understanding Hard Disks and File Systems" demystifies the technical aspects of data storage. Equip yourself with the knowledge to make informed decisions and effectively manage your digital data. Dive in and take control of your storage solutions today!




Understanding Hard Disk and File System


Book Description

A good understanding of storage devices and file systems helps investigators locate information during the investigation process. A forensic investigator must have knowledge of the structure and functioning of storage devices used in various computing devices. In the book "Understanding Hard Disks and File Systems," you will learn about storage devices such as hard disk drives and SSDs. You will understand more about the components and characteristics of disk drives in a better way. Further, we will understand the logical structure of these storage devices and the distribution of data on the disk. Computer hardware is nothing without the operating system and software. In the next chapter of this book, we will learn about how different operating system works. We will understand the booting process of Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems in a concise manner. we will look into file systems in these operating systems. Furthermore, we will examine file systems using forensics tools such as Autopsy and the sleuth kit. As storage technology is advancing, we have got various new technology to store our digital data. Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS) are helping organizations and individuals store their information in an efficient way. Hence, we will also go through NAS and RAID storage systems. There we will learn more about the architecture and working of these storage systems. In Digital Forensics Investigations, investigators in search of the remnants of deleted files, use Hex Editors which shows the physical contents of the disk including the files, folders, and partitions. So we will spend some of our time learning character encoding and hexadecimal notation. Further, at the end of this book, we will learn to analyze PDF, JPEG, and other document formats using Hex editors to find any malicious segment embedded in them.




File System Forensic Analysis


Book Description

The Definitive Guide to File System Analysis: Key Concepts and Hands-on Techniques Most digital evidence is stored within the computer's file system, but understanding how file systems work is one of the most technically challenging concepts for a digital investigator because there exists little documentation. Now, security expert Brian Carrier has written the definitive reference for everyone who wants to understand and be able to testify about how file system analysis is performed. Carrier begins with an overview of investigation and computer foundations and then gives an authoritative, comprehensive, and illustrated overview of contemporary volume and file systems: Crucial information for discovering hidden evidence, recovering deleted data, and validating your tools. Along the way, he describes data structures, analyzes example disk images, provides advanced investigation scenarios, and uses today's most valuable open source file system analysis tools—including tools he personally developed. Coverage includes Preserving the digital crime scene and duplicating hard disks for "dead analysis" Identifying hidden data on a disk's Host Protected Area (HPA) Reading source data: Direct versus BIOS access, dead versus live acquisition, error handling, and more Analyzing DOS, Apple, and GPT partitions; BSD disk labels; and Sun Volume Table of Contents using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Analyzing the contents of multiple disk volumes, such as RAID and disk spanning Analyzing FAT, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, UFS1, and UFS2 file systems using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Finding evidence: File metadata, recovery of deleted files, data hiding locations, and more Using The Sleuth Kit (TSK), Autopsy Forensic Browser, and related open source tools When it comes to file system analysis, no other book offers this much detail or expertise. Whether you're a digital forensics specialist, incident response team member, law enforcement officer, corporate security specialist, or auditor, this book will become an indispensable resource for forensic investigations, no matter what analysis tools you use.




Operating Systems


Book Description

"This book is organized around three concepts fundamental to OS construction: virtualization (of CPU and memory), concurrency (locks and condition variables), and persistence (disks, RAIDS, and file systems"--Back cover.




Hands-On Network Forensics


Book Description

Gain basic skills in network forensics and learn how to apply them effectively Key FeaturesInvestigate network threats with easePractice forensics tasks such as intrusion detection, network analysis, and scanningLearn forensics investigation at the network levelBook Description Network forensics is a subset of digital forensics that deals with network attacks and their investigation. In the era of network attacks and malware threat, it’s now more important than ever to have skills to investigate network attacks and vulnerabilities. Hands-On Network Forensics starts with the core concepts within network forensics, including coding, networking, forensics tools, and methodologies for forensic investigations. You’ll then explore the tools used for network forensics, followed by understanding how to apply those tools to a PCAP file and write the accompanying report. In addition to this, you will understand how statistical flow analysis, network enumeration, tunneling and encryption, and malware detection can be used to investigate your network. Towards the end of this book, you will discover how network correlation works and how to bring all the information from different types of network devices together. By the end of this book, you will have gained hands-on experience of performing forensics analysis tasks. What you will learnDiscover and interpret encrypted trafficLearn about various protocolsUnderstand the malware language over wireGain insights into the most widely used malwareCorrelate data collected from attacksDevelop tools and custom scripts for network forensics automationWho this book is for The book targets incident responders, network engineers, analysts, forensic engineers and network administrators who want to extend their knowledge from the surface to the deep levels of understanding the science behind network protocols, critical indicators in an incident and conducting a forensic search over the wire.




Practical File System Design with the BE File System


Book Description

This new guide to the design and implementation of file systems in general - and the Be File System (BFS) in particularcovers all topics related to file systems, going into considerable depth where traditional operating systems books often stop. Advanced topics such as journaling, attributes, indexing, and query processing are covered in detail.




Linux Bible


Book Description

More than 50 percent new and revised content for today's Linux environment gets you up and running in no time! Linux continues to be an excellent, low-cost alternative to expensive operating systems. Whether you're new to Linux or need a reliable update and reference, this is an excellent resource. Veteran bestselling author Christopher Negus provides a complete tutorial packed with major updates, revisions, and hands-on exercises so that you can confidently start using Linux today. Offers a complete restructure, complete with exercises, to make the book a better learning tool Places a strong focus on the Linux command line tools and can be used with all distributions and versions of Linux Features in-depth coverage of the tools that a power user and a Linux administrator need to get started This practical learning tool is ideal for anyone eager to set up a new Linux desktop system at home or curious to learn how to manage Linux server systems at work.




Windows Operating System Fundamentals


Book Description

A clear and concise resource, the ideal guide to Windows for IT beginners Windows Operating System Fundamentals covers everything you need to know about Windows 10. Learn to master the installation process and discover the cool new features of Windows 10, including Edge, Cortana, and more. And because this book follows the Windows Server Operating System Fundamentals MTA Certification, it is perfect for IT professionals who are new to the industry and need an entry point into IT certification. This book covers the basics of the Windows operating system, from setting up user accounts to using the start menu, running applications, and setting up internet access. You’ll be prepared to upgrade a computer to Windows 10 and to master the basic tools necessary to work effectively within the OS. Each chapter closes with a quiz so you can test your knowledge before moving to the next section. Learn to configure your Windows 10 operating system, optimize account controls, configure user profiles, customize system options, and more! Understand how to use Windows applications and tools for managing LAN settings, configuring Microsoft Edge, and setting up remote assistance Use Windows to manage devices like printers, cloud storage, OneDrive, and system devices Maintain, update, protect, and backup your data by configuring Windows Update, automated backup, and system recovery and restore With Windows Operating System Fundamentals, IT Professionals looking to understand more about Windows 10 will gain the knowledge to effectively use applications, navigate files and folders, and upgrade client systems. Thanks to the troubleshooting tools and tips in this book, you can apply your new skills in real-world situations and feel confident while taking the certification exam.




Managing Linux Systems with Webmin


Book Description

bull; Written by the creator of Webmin -- the most popular GUI admin tool for Linux bull; Webmin is currently downloaded 4000 times a day & -- nearly one million times of all versions in the last year! Shows how to use Webmin to configure Apache, Sendmail, and other complex Linux servers bull; Start developing your own Webmin modules and themes with the complete reference for the API




The Design and Implementation of a Log-structured File System


Book Description

I have implemented a prototype log-structured file system called Sprite LFS; it outperforms current Unix file systems by an order of magnitude for small-file writes and matches or exceeds Unix performance for reads and large writes. Even when the overhead for cleaning is included, Sprite LFS can use 70% of the disk bandwidth for writing. Unix file systems typically can use only 5-10%.