Forensic server hardware must be capable of storing huge data amounts that it then process for the forensic analysts. Hard drives of multiple terabytes are common and therefore a forensic server ‘farm’ must be capable of processing massive multi terabyte volumes of data and also be able to process it all in memory. This is best achieved by using a SAN (Storage Area Network) that is expandable to match forensic case and analyst needs. It’s possible that this could use a cloud computing infrastructure, but of course this relies on decent (fibre) internet connection which huge upload and download speeds. Here’s a checklist of considerations when setting up digital forensic servers.

• Service continuity – what’s the up / down time?
• Employees – are they security cleared?
• Logistics – how is a digital forensics investigation undertaken with this setup?
• Security – how secure is this setup? Schedule some penetration testing?
• Location – where the data is stored dictates what laws apply to it.
• Compliance – with ISO17025, you will need to demonstrate and prove compliance to it.