USB Forensics: Duplication
Many forensic investigations require forensic copies of USB storage devices. This course will teach you how to use the FTDI Vinculum II microcontroller to create a pocket USB forensic duplicator for under $50.
What you'll learn
USB devices, especially flash drives, have become commonplace. As a result, USB storage devices are frequently a part of forensic investigations. An easy way of making forensic copies of USB storage devices is needed to facilitate such investigations. This course centers around building an inexpensive pocket forensic duplicator based on the FTDI Vinculum II microcontroller. You will learn the basics of making forensic copies of USB mass storage devices no matter the method employed. While building this device you will also learn how to use microcontrollers and interface with standard electronic peripherals such as LEDs and LCD displays. When you've finished this course, you will have a basic understanding of the Vinculum II microcontroller, which you can apply to more advanced applications such as USB write blocking and device impersonation, which are to be covered in a follow-up course. Software required: Freely available Vinculum II Integrated Development Environment (Windows XP or higher, possibly in a virtual machine). Hardware Required: FTDI V2DIP2 64-pin development module, 5 LEDs of 3 colors (optional), 16x2 LCD display (optional), and prototyping board (optional).
Table of contents
About the author
Dr. Phil Polstra (aka Infosec Dr. Phil) is a professor of Digital Forensics at Bloomsburg University. He is also the author of a number of books including "Hacking and Penetration Testing with Low Power Devices" (Syngress, 2015) and "Linux Forensics from A to Z" (PAP, 2016). He has made repeat appearances at DEFCON, BlackHat, B-sides, 44CON, GrrCON, and spoken at many top conferences all around the world, usually on hardware hacking or forensics. He is also a plane builder and an accomplished a... more