Cloud forensics presents challenges for organizations as they rely more on cloud service providers (CSPs) for their security controls and processes. While this shift can provide benefits, such as cost savings and scalability, it also raises concerns about collecting and preserving digital evidence in the cloud. Security teams must establish a framework for how their CSPs share data and handle cloud forensics, aligning with international standards and best practices.
When conducting preliminary research or negotiating contracts with CSPs, organizations should ask specific questions about the types of data that can be provided regularly or as needed during investigations. This could include web server logs, application server logs, database logs, network captures, and billing records, among others. Understanding the availability of different types of evidence from the CSP and within service-level agreements is crucial, especially when dealing with container runtime systems and serverless hosting platforms. Additionally, organizations should inquire about the CSP’s data retention and disposal policies to ensure compliance with security event information.
However, cloud forensics is not just the responsibility of the CSP. Security teams also face challenges in adapting their forensics tools and practices to their organization’s cloud infrastructure. For example, disk imaging, a common forensics process, requires new procedures and documentation to ensure proper chain-of-custody and evidence integrity practices. While standard VMs offer snapshot processes, security teams must transfer and store disk images appropriately.
Memory images are another important element of forensics evidence, but acquiring them can be challenging in cloud environments. Access to the operating system kernel is often necessary, which may not be available in certain cloud workload models like containers and serverless. Even for traditional VMs, acquiring memory snapshots may require a pre-installed agent. Furthermore, the ephemeral nature of many cloud workloads means that threats must be identified and forensics evidence must be collected in an automated and continuous manner, requiring advanced cloud skills and specialized monitoring capabilities.
To effectively manage cloud forensics, security teams should establish dedicated resources with robust logging and auditing capabilities where evidence can be copied and stored securely. This is essential to demonstrate proper acquisition and protection of cloud forensic evidence in the event of legal challenges. It requires a deep understanding of cloud technologies and significant operational effort.
Overcoming cloud forensics challenges requires careful planning and strategy. Organizations must collaborate closely with their CSPs to clarify the types of data that can be provided and establish processes for evidence collection and preservation. Additionally, security teams must adapt their forensics practices to account for the unique characteristics of cloud infrastructures, such as the ephemeral nature of cloud workloads and limitations in accessing memory images. By addressing these challenges, organizations can effectively manage cloud forensics and ensure the security of their cloud environments.