A Case for Forensics Tools in Cross-Domain Data Transfers

Corporate and government organizations dependence on computers and networks for storage and movement of data raises significant security issues. Two of these are movement of data across security domains (cross-domain) and computer reuse. The cross-domain transfer problem must address the contents of the file space as well as the contents of slack and free space. Three options are presented and discussed. One is selected as most practical and more fully discussed. Since this option involves the use of forensics software, a software tool is selected and its application discussed. The final discussion is protecting against inadvertent data compromise when reusing computers or salvaging them. Forensics software has a role here also.