The Virtual Digital Forensics Lab - Expanding Law Enforcement Capabilities

Law enforcement is attempting to respond to the growing and complex need to examine all manner of digital evidence using stand-alone forensic workstations and limited storage solutions. Digital forensic investigators often find their cases stalled by cumbersome and inflexible technology limiting their effectiveness. The Virtual Digital Forensics Lab (VDFL) is a new concept that applies existing enterprise host, storage, and network virtualization technologies to current forensic investigative methods. This paper details the concept of the VDFL, the technology solutions it employs, and the flexibility it provides for digital forensic investigators. Keywords: Virtual Digital Forensics, digital forensic investigations, law enforcement, virtual lab, Digital Forensic