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Forensic server/equipments for teaching lab

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 ding
(@ding)
Eminent Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 22
Topic starter  

Hello,

I would like to have some advice on purchasing a forensic server and other hardware/software. My budget is under $4,000. (Yes, I know my budget is quite low.) Those would be for a computer forensics lab in a small college. There will be 10~15 additional desktop PCs in the lab.

My preliminary plan is to use the server to keep heavy duty foensics tools with imaging hardware/software and use the PCs for general purpose use and light weight tools (mostly open source).

Any suggestions of how to configure the server and PCs? All machines will be under a restricted network environment.

Well, I know that my question is a bit too general and may things will depend upon what I want to o, but I would appreciate if you can provide some of your thought.


   
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brunty11
(@brunty11)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 11
 

I would check into free academic licensing for VMware's virtual infrastucture (VI) program. If the PC's are being used for "academic" purposes and not commercial forensics or forensic training, this is the way I would go….

VI lets you configure multiple virtual machines to be served from a central server location to multiple desktop PC's. I would at least look at at as an option, since your budget doesn't allow for much leeway.


   
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(@swoodruff)
New Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1
 

We set up a lab this year and one recommendation I can make is avoid portable write blockers - something built into a hard drive bay will not get quite so easily "mislaid"
Stephen Woodruff, Glasgow University


   
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(@patjan)
Active Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 5
 

My suggestion. Install windows xp on the client machines. Grab enough storage for the server and install UBUNTU linux. Configure it with PTK from DFLABS. PTK is a fully functional forensic suite,, plus it is fee. You can then use a web browser to log on to the ubuntu server and do you forensic processing. Several users can log on at the same time and work.
PTK


   
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(@paul206)
Trusted Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 70
 

I agree with patjan that you will have to use open source tools because of your budget restraints. Obviously that means running Linux on your workstations and server and you will have to use Linux based open source tools as well which is ok. Teaching them how to do things at the command line will force them to learn the fundamental principles underlying the different tasks they are trying to perform. I urge you to buy a copy of the book Real Digital Forensics by Jones, Bejtlich and Rose and consider using it for your textbook. It is very strong in explaining open source tools and techniques.


   
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