"Computer Forensics and Investigations" offers a solid introduction to a field that is vitally important. With the continued growth of the Internet and the increase in the use of computers worldwide, computers are being used to commit crimes with more frequency. Computers also make it possible to record crimes, including records of embezzlement, e-mail harassment, leaks of proprietary information, and even terrorism. Law enforcement, network administrators, attorneys, and private investigators now rely on the skills of professional computer forensics experts to investigate criminal and civil cases. "Computer Forensics and Investigations" is intended for novices who have a firm understanding of the basics of computers and networking. It can be used to help you pass the appropriate certification exams and covers multiple operating systems as well as a range of computer hardware. "Computer Forensics and Investigations" is your guide to becoming a skilled computer forensics investigator.
While informative and covers a lot of content (police and private investigations, legal processes, chain of custody, working with live machines and copies, mobile phone forensics, and more), it's a little about a lot. I guess that's the point, as it's essentially an introduction. However, a number of the labs were close to impossible since they relied on demo versions of paid software that you could only get by contacting the vendor. I did so (along with other classmates and professors), and never heard back. I had similar experiences with software which has the same capabilities as those taught in the book. If not for that, I would have found the guide more useful if the tools were available, as the book provides step by step instructions.
This is definitely more of a survey class textbook. As a Cengage Mindtap product, and used for a course personally, the labs in the book are moderately okay. Cengage's labs through their VM provider are extremely problematic. If you want to use this book as a standalone to get started with Digital Forensics, it is an okay resource. If you're looking to try the entire Mindtap experience, I would suggest skipping this because of the problems with the online labs.
I didn't like how this book was organized. I felt like it honed in on details without giving enough perspective for the details to make sense. Maybe it just wasn't written at college students taking the course at this level, but I got a lot more out of the lectures, discussions and projects than the book.
Well written and covering a lot of topics but to a minimal level. Recommended for a computer forensic student, perhaps less so for a computer forensic practitioner.