Digital Forensics Framework for Early Detection and Response to Internal Cybersecurity Incidents in Financial Environment رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

The cyberspace and technology environment, especially within the financial sector are subject to cyberattacks and malicious activities initiated by insider or outsider perpetrators motivated by malicious intents. While insider malicious forms the biggest risk to organizations, effective handling of their activities is considered very important to reveal incident information and protect origination's digital assets, which requires designing a reliable process for digital investigation and incident responses to insider activity within an organization’s digital environment. This dissertation presents a conceptual forensic framework used in the early detection and response to insider malicious activities, within the financial sector. By adapting grounded theory as a systematic qualitative research and data collection methodology, the proposed framework model was developed by examining and enhancing several generic digital forensic and incident response models encountered within current literature comprehensive research. As well as by exploring current international practices of cybersecurity incident response and digital forensics through assessment surveys, to introduce proper enhancements to current frameworks. The proposed framework is supported by five essential pillars and consists of (14) sub-requirements (pillars enablers) and (134) processes (to-do- list). The resulting framework was validated by an expert focus group, tested, and found effective and efficient for insider threat activities detection and response within the financial sector. The outcome and scientific contribution of the proposed framework, are achieved by providing the organization's cyber professionals, with a novel framework to assist them during the cyber investigation process followed by insider security incidents. As well as filling the gap within the majority of generic digital forensics frameworks by designing dedicated novel framework for the financial sector.