IT and security managers have found themselves increasingly needing to better understand the world of digital forensics. This world has become more important as the probability of being breached continues to approach near-certainty, and as organizations need to better prepare themselves for legal actions and other post-breach consequences.

In this post for CSOonline, I describe the basics behind digital forensics, the kinds of specialized tools that are required, links to appropriate resources to learn more and a checklist of various decisions that you will need to consider if you are going to be more involved in this field. It is not just about understanding the legal consequences of a breach, but also in being properly prepared before a breach occurs. And something that you need to get your head around: lawyers can be your friends in these circumstances.