Patent Document ID: 9087207
Application ID: 12726553
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of a first computer system obtaining a complete forensic image of an electronic storage media that is part of a second computer system containing electronic data, by collecting forensic data, the storage media being part of the second computer system which includes a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: a. using the first computer system to store a data collection program on a password-encrypted external storage device, the storage device having a USB 1.1 or greater interface, the storage device receiving all of its operating power via the USB interface, the first computer system modifying the data collection program, i. to select a desired level of encryption, ii. to require specific input of information from a custodian of the electronic data, iii. to select switches to capture RAM, iv. to select a drive to be imaged, v. to select data capturing switches, to be used during the process of capturing the forensic data, from the group of switches comprising: verification, chunked file sizes, logging options, and verification, and vi. to select audit switches, to be used to perform a system audit after termination of the imaging by the data collection program, from the group of audit switches comprising: operating system version, logged-on user name, hard drive size, and electronic serial numbers; b. sending the external storage device to the custodian of the electronic data, together with means for the custodian to easily return the external storage device; c. the custodian connecting the external storage device to the second computer system containing the storage media, once connected, the data collection program displaying a splash screen on the display screen; d. the data collection program, via the splash screen, using the second computer system to forensically collect the electronic data to create a complete forensic image, on the external storage device, of the storage media containing the electronic data; e. the data collection program encrypting the external storage device; f. the data collection program auditing the forensic image; and g. the data collection program preserving an exact copy of the forensic image onto the external storage device without making changes to the forensic image.