CDFE case studies
CDFE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Digital Forensics Examiner (CDFE™) is one of the certifications in the Mile2® portfolio, listed by the vendor alongside credentials such as CISSO®, CPTE®, CAICSO™ and C)CSO®. Mile2® describes its certification portfolio as university and accredited, ANSI/ANAB-aligned, and designed to give holders hands-on, job-ready skills that employers trust. The vendor positions its courses for roles including security analyst, network engineer, IT manager and executive leader, and states that it trains students in penetration testing, disaster recovery, incident handling and network forensics - the last being the discipline the CDFE™ name points to. The source page does not publish CDFE™-specific exam objectives, so candidates should confirm the current detailed course outline and exam requirements directly with the vendor before scheduling. The CDFE case studies are 5 cases and about 3,326 words.
1Hash Mismatch on a Seized USB Drive
At 09:15 on 14 March, a field officer seized a 64 GB USB flash drive from a locked desk drawer in a shared office. The officer connected it to a validated write-blocker, imaged it to a 128 GB forensic SSD, and recorded SHA-256 3f9a...c21e .
758 words, about 4 min2Live Ransomware Server and BitLocker Keys
At 02:40, a small accounting firm reports that its Windows Server 2016 file server is displaying a ransomware note. The server hosts a 2 TB BitLocker-encrypted data volume and a domain controller VM.
665 words, about 3 min3Locked iPhone, Cloud Backup, and a Six-Digit Passcode
A 32-year-old suspect is arrested for fraud. Officers seize an iPhone 12 running iOS 16.5 from his person.
671 words, about 3 min4RAID 5 Reconstruction with a Missing Disk
A 4-disk RAID 5 array is seized from a graphic design studio suspected of storing unlicensed software. One disk is physically failed and will not spin.
626 words, about 3 min5Timestamp Discrepancy and Suspected Timestomping
A Windows 10 laptop is seized from an employee suspected of copying trade secrets to a personal USB drive. The examiner images the drive and finds a folder C: with files whose STANDARD INFORMATION creation timestamps are 2020-01-01 00:00:00, while FILE NAME timestamps are 2023-06-14 14:22:10.
606 words, about 3 min