Step 5: Determine your software needs
Software is one of the most essential parts of any digital forensic lab setup, hence it’s also one of the most substantial expenses you can expect to cover.
Free open-source forensic tools are an option?
Unless, of course, you’re planning to wing it by relying on open-source digital forensic tools exclusively. That, however, can have its fair share of drawbacks, the most notable of which is a steep learning curve, lack of support, hidden malware, data loss, and simply not being up to the modern day’s digital forensics challenges.
As a general rule of thumb, you get what you pay for. If nothing else, paid digital forensics software is the superior choice due to the support that you get. As you probably know already, during an investigation, time is of the essence, and you simply cannot afford to lose any of it by having to stumble over technical hurdles.
Choose the digital forensic software properly and wisely
When choosing your digital forensics software provider, give preference to the ones that have specialized in serving the digital forensics niche exclusively rather than developing a general type of software solutions.
Keep in mind that, these should be designed to preserve the integrity of the evidence and make sure it stands in court.
Above all else, your digital forensics software of choice should have the features you need to support your workflow and the digital forensics field your department specializes in.
There is dedicated digital forensics software and there is a generic one. Where will you put your trust? Plus, some advanced ones like database forensics software, as a dedicated digital forensics tool. you’ve got nowhere to find except dedicated providers like SalvationDATA