Where do I start? #1 Books

Often when I'm asked to speak to high school and college students, they ask "where do I start" or "how do I learn about digital forensics?"  I thought I would start my blog posting by answering this question! In addition to college courses and/or professional training, there are many resources available to learn and practice your skills on your own.

Suggestion #1 - A few essential books for your library:

• The Basics of Digital Forensics: The Primer for Getting Started in Digital Forensics by John Sammons 
• Windows Forensics Analyst Toolkit by Harlan Carvey - Just be sure to get the latest edition!
• File System Forensics by Brian Carrier - An essential resource and reference book.
• Digital Forensics with Open Source Tools by Cory Altheide and Harlan Carvey

There are, of course, many other great books that I have on my bookshelf, but these are my go-to references and/or the best books to start with. I recommend starting with Sammons to get the basic concepts and then exploring from there.