What is the main purpose of digital forensics?

The primary purpose of digital forensics is to investigate and analyze digital evidence. This field is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and examining data to uncover critical information related to incidents such as cybercrimes, data breaches, or legal disputes. Digital forensics involves applying scientific methods and established protocols to ensure that the evidence is admissible in court, thereby enabling investigators to reconstruct events and understand the context surrounding a particular digital incident.

The process may include analyzing file systems, recovering deleted files, and examining logs to understand user activities or system behaviors leading up to an event. Central to this aim is the notion that the integrity and authenticity of the digital evidence need to be maintained throughout the investigation.

While generating backup copies, recovering lost data, and improving system performance are relevant tasks within IT and data management, they do not fall under the purview of digital forensics. The focus of digital forensics is on the investigative aspect and the analytical methods used to interpret data as part of a thorough examination of digital evidence.