Introduction to Digital Forensics and System Investigation — PickAClass
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⏱ 3h 1m 📚 27 lessons

Introduction to Digital Forensics and System Investigation

Learn how to investigate security incidents, preserve critical digital evidence, and analyze system artifacts through clear, step-by-step written guides.

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About this course

When a security breach occurs, digital investigators are called in to reconstruct the timeline and discover exactly what happened. Understanding how to collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence is a critical skill in modern cybersecurity. This course guides you through the foundational principles of digital forensics, helping you transition from a beginner to a confident investigator who understands how to analyze system artifacts. What you'll learn: 1. Understand foundational digital forensics terminology and the principles of chain of custody. 2. Analyze Windows system artifacts, including registry entries and event logs, to trace user activity. 3. Explore modern threat landscape concepts and how digital forensics fits into incident response. 4. Learn how to safely acquire and preserve memory and disk images for investigation. 5. Practice identifying indicators of compromise (IOCs) through guided written scenarios. 6. Apply basic forensic triage methodologies to quickly assess compromised systems. This course begins with key terminology, legal standards, and foundational forensic concepts before progressing to step-by-step written walk-throughs of artifact analysis and evidence preservation. It is designed specifically for beginners in cybersecurity and system administration, with no prior forensics experience required. Start your journey into digital investigation today.

Course contents

6 modules · 27 lessons · 3h 1m

1 Foundations of Digital Forensics
Establish the core terminology and legal framework for digital investigations. 4 lessons · 26 min
  1. What is Digital Forensics?
    Define digital forensics and its primary goal of reconstructing past events.    6 min
  2. Key Forensic Terminology
    Introduce essential terms like artifacts, volatile data, and bit-stream images.    7 min
  3. Legal Standards and Ethics
    Explain the legal requirements and ethical considerations for forensic practitioners.    6 min
  4. The Chain of Custody
    Detail the process of documenting evidence handling to ensure court admissibility.    7 min
2 Threat Landscape and Incident Response
Understand how forensics fits into the broader context of modern cybersecurity. 4 lessons · 26 min
  1. The Modern Threat Landscape
    Overview of common attack vectors and why forensic investigations are necessary.    6 min
  2. Forensics in Incident Response
    Explain the role of forensics within the standard Incident Response lifecycle.    7 min
  3. Forensic Triage Principles
    Introduce the concept of rapid assessment to identify compromised systems quickly.    6 min
  4. Triage Methodologies
    Compare live response versus dead-box forensics in a triage scenario.    7 min
3 Evidence Acquisition and Preservation
Learn the technical steps to safely collect data without altering it. 5 lessons · 35 min
  1. The Order of Volatility
    Prioritize data collection based on how quickly it disappears (RAM vs. Disk).    6 min
  2. Memory Acquisition
    Techniques for capturing RAM images from a live system.    8 min
  3. Disk Imaging
    Creating bit-for-bit copies of physical storage devices.    8 min
  4. Safe Preservation Techniques
    Using write blockers and secure storage to protect original evidence.    7 min
  5. Verification with Hashing
    Using MD5/SHA algorithms to prove that evidence has not been modified.    6 min
4 Analyzing Windows Registry
Extract meaningful user and system data from the Windows Registry. 5 lessons · 34 min
  1. Windows Registry Structure
    Understand how hives, keys, and values are organized in Windows.    6 min
  2. Tracing System Configuration
    Locate system-wide settings in the SYSTEM and SOFTWARE hives.    7 min
  3. Tracing User Activity
    Analyze the NTUSER.DAT hive to see what a specific user did.    7 min
  4. Evidence of Execution
    Use Registry keys like UserAssist to prove specific programs were run.    7 min
  5. Persistence Mechanisms
    Identify how malware stays on a system using 'Run' keys.    7 min
5 Windows Event Log Analysis
Reconstruct a timeline of events using system-generated logs. 4 lessons · 26 min
  1. Introduction to Event Logs
    Differentiate between System, Security, and Application log files.    6 min
  2. Analyzing Logon Events
    Track successful and failed logins using specific Event IDs.    7 min
  3. Tracking Process Creation
    Use Event ID 4688 to see which commands were executed on the system.    7 min
  4. Detecting Log Tampering
    Identify when logs have been cleared to hide attacker activity.    6 min
6 IOCs and Investigation Scenarios
Apply all learned skills to identify threats and walk through real-world cases. 5 lessons · 34 min
  1. What are Indicators of Compromise?
    Define IOCs and their role in identifying known threats.    6 min
  2. Types of IOCs
    Categorize IOCs into network-based, host-based, and behavioral indicators.    6 min
  3. Scenario 1: Unauthorized Access
    A written walk-through of tracing a suspicious remote login.    8 min
  4. Scenario 2: Malware Execution
    A written walk-through of finding where a malicious file came from and what it did.    8 min
  5. Reporting Your Findings
    How to summarize forensic evidence into a clear, professional report.    6 min
Final project

The First Responder’s Report

You are provided with a written description of a compromised workstation, including Registry snippets and Event Log entries. You must identify the attacker's entry point, the actions they took, and the evidence you would use to prove it.

What you'll get

  • 📜 Certificate of completion
    Add it to your LinkedIn profile
  • 💬 Personal AI tutor
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  • ♾️ Lifetime access
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  • 📱 Phone or computer
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  • 💸 14-day refund
    No questions asked
  • ⚡ Short & focused
    3h 1m of practical content

Certificate of completion

Every course you complete on PickAClass issues a credential like this — original, with its own code, verifiable by URL, and detailed about what was actually demonstrated.

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Certificate of Mastery
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Name Surname
has successfully demonstrated mastery of
Introduction to Digital Forensics and System Investigation
Skills demonstrated
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Behavioral pattern analysis
Foundational
1.2 hrs
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Decision-architecture frameworks
Proficient
1.4 hrs
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PickAClass — Name Surname
Introduction to Digital Forensics and System Investigation
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Performance detail
Coursework summary
Lessons completed 14 / 14
Practice questions 26 / 28
Assignments submitted 4 (avg 4.5 / 5)
Capstone project Reviewed — 4.6 / 5
Total practice 6.2 hrs
Performance benchmark
Cohort rank Top 12% of 1,625
Time to completion 11 days (median: 22)
Mastery score 91 / 100
Practice-question score 94%
Skill verification Verified Skill Path
Verify this credential
pickaclass.com/certificates/PCC-2026-X4F7-AP19
Issued under the academic standards of PickAClass. Skill levels reflect assessed performance against the course's competency rubric. This is an original credential of this platform.

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Frequently asked

What do I need to take this course? +

Just a phone or computer with internet. No installs, no special hardware.

How do I pay? +

By card via Stripe. We don’t store card details — Stripe handles them securely.

Can I get a refund? +

Yes — full refund within 14 days, no questions asked.

How long will I have access? +

Forever. Once you purchase, the course is yours to revisit anytime.

Will I get a certificate? +

Yes. On completion you'll receive a certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile.

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