Where Information is Stored

The CONTENTENGINEER Group and its experts have extensive knowledge in the field of electronic data storage systems. These systems include the simplest of flash based memory cards (such as memory sticks) through to the largest data warehouse residing on storage networks (SAN/NAS). As a service to new and existing Clients, the Group publishes an extract from the knowledge base as "the GRID". This details the most common media and devices on which information (digital assets) are often stored by both commercial and public sector organisations as well as individuals.

Any of these media or storage devices or systems can hold both volatile and non-volatile data that may include both intellectual property, transactional messages or other forms of data including images. The list helps Clients determine:

• Where is data being stored in the organisation?
• How is the data protected and is it currently at risk?
• Which devices could hold valuable clues or data artefacts for investigations?
• What devices may hold a key or data items that are critical to the business?

By identifying these items, it also assists Clients in instructing the Group to undertake both data recovery and content forensic [imaging and examination] services.

The Group has the expertise, experience and elecronic devices to recover data and artefacts in a forensically sound process from the majority of media, devices and systems shown in the GRID below. More techniques and processes are being added as new devices and formats are developed by manufacturers and Clients demand such data recovery/evidence collection services.

2D Barcode	StorageArray	Barcode
Logistics and packing data (b)	Programs, documents and databases (1-100Tb)	Product data (b)
Bluetooth Device	Digital Camera	Compact Disc (CD)
Small wireless intra-device transmission (b)	Images, audio and short video clips (1Mb-2Gb)	Programs, music, images and short videos (1Gb)
Compact Flash(Disk)	Compact Flash(Memory)	Desktop/Workstation
Images and short videos (Gb)	Images and short videos (Gb)	Hard disk containing filesystem with programs, documents, images, short video (10Gb-10Tb)
Random Access Memory	Digital Video Disc	Electrically Erasable PROM
Volatile system memory (Mb-Gb)	Programs, images, video and system backup (1-10Gb)	Reprogrammable system configuration BIOS (Kb-Mb)

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Electronic Mail	Paper Envelope	Floppy Disc Drive
Text, documernt, images and programs (1Kb-10Mb)	Addresses, source, dates, IP, secrets (b)	Programs, documents and small images (1-2Mb)
Filesystem	Paper Folder/Filing	High Definition CD
Formatted disk holding files - documents, images, programs (1-10Tb)	Printed documents, photographs and dates (1Kb-100Mb)	High quality music and videos (1Gb)
Hard Disk Drive(HDD)	Applie iPOD	Infra Red (iRDA)
Partitions with filesystems containing files (10Gb-1Tb)	HDD/Memory with music and video/images (1-64Gb)	Small wireless intra-device transmission (b)
Laptop/Notebook	Magnetic Card	(Sony) Memory Stick
HDD Containing filesystem with programs, documents, images, short videos (10-100Gb)	Card number data (10-100b)	Images, documents, music and short video (100Mb-1Gb)

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(Sony) Memory Stick DUO	(Sony) Memory Stick Pro	CF Microdrive
Images, documents, music and short videos (100Mb-1Gb)	Images, documents, music and short videos (100Mb-1Gb)	Images, documents and short videos (1-10Gb)
Miniature HDD (2.5/1.8/0.85")	Mini SD Card	Multi Media Card (MMC)
Images, documents, music and short videos (1-100Gb)	Images, contact details and short video (100Mb-2Gb)	Images and short video (100Mb-2Gb)
Reduced MMC	Mobile/Cell Phone	(Sony) MP3 Player
Music (and images) (100Mb-32Gb)	Contact details, calls made, call information, text messages (100Kb-1Gb)	Music/audio (1Gb-16Gb)
Network Switch/Router	Paper or Printout	PDA/Blackberry
Programs, configuration data, utilisation, connections, errors, intrusion (100Mb-10Gb)	Printed text, handwriting, drawings and images (100Kb-10Mb)	Programs, contact details, calls made, cell info, GPS location, messages (100Mb-32Gb)

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Photograph	Playstation Portable	Random Access Memory
Printed images, watermarks, text, grain patterns (1Mb-250Mb)	Programs(games), videos and music (100Mb-10Gb)	Volatile system data for variety of devices (10-100Mb)
Radio Frequency ID Tag	Contactless Card	Secure Digital Card
Identification data for logistics and animal tracking (10-100b)	Card identification / encryption (100-100Kb)
RFID Security Card	Computer Server	Shotcode.com
Card, identification data including biometrics, images (10-1Mb)	Internal HDD with filesystem, documents, images, programs (10Gb-100Tb)	Promotional links for website (for mobile phones) (100b)
SIM Card (Phone)	Smart Card	SmartMedia(SM)
Card identification data, phone numbers, text messages (10-1Mb)	Card identification data/encryption functionality (100Kb-10Mb)	Images, music and short videos (100Mb-1Gb)

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Magnetic Tape (DDS)	Magnetic Tape (DLT/LTO)	Magnetic Tape (VHS)
System backup data (5Gb-60Gb)	System backup data (50Gb-1Tb)	Analog video recordings (1-10Gb equivalent)
Telephone	TIVO Television Recorder	CCTV HDD/DVD Recorder
Telephone numbers, calls made, config data (100B-1Mb)	Digital video recordings, images and music (10-100Gb)	Digital surveillance video recordings, images and time (100Gb-10Tb)
Universal Media Disc(UMD)	USB Memory Stick	XD Picture Card
Programs, video and music (100Mb-10Gb)	Programs, documents, images and system backup data (10Mb-10Gb)	Images and short video clips (10Mb-32Gb)

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