The idea of human excellence can be validated through a lot of different things, but honestly speaking, none do the job better than our tendency to grow on a consistent basis. We say this because the stated tendency has already fetched the world some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a rather unique member of the group. The reason why technology’s credentials are so anomalous is purposed around its skill-set, which was unprecedented enough to realize all the possibilities for us that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, a closer look should be able to reveal how the whole runner was also very much inspired by the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence and made it the ultimate centerpiece of every horizon. Now, having such a powerful tool run the show did expand our experience in many different directions, but even after reaching so far ahead, this prodigious concept called technology will keep on delivering the right goods. The same has grown to become a lot more evident in recent times, and assuming one new GRC-themed development pans out just like we envision, it will only propel that trend towards greater heights over the near future and beyond.
Exterro, a Portland, Oregon-based company, has officially announced the launch of Exterro FTK® 8.0, an improved version of the company’s award-winning, court-cited digital investigations solution built for speed, stability, and ease of use. Boasting fastest scalable processing engine on the market, the stated solution comes decked up with an ability to provide time-friendly automations that help agencies accelerate their forensic workflows. Hence, by achieving a greater pace around critical steps like case creation and evidence processing, FTK® 8.0 can assist various law enforcement agencies in getting the case to relevant examiners in literally half the time than usual. As for specific new features that will join Exterro’s FTK from here onwards, there is available a prospect of automatic artifact categorization, and visual filters that inform investigators on where to begin their analysis. Next up, the solution equips you with the knowhow to more easily apply Project VIC and CAID categories during CSAM review. Then, there is also a powerful interactive timeline visualization tool which allows users to compare data from different devices or different time periods. Complimenting the same is an option to click on any given data artifact and study the evidence in-depth. Talk about studying things on a slightly deeper level, it’s time for us to do that in the context of FTK® 8.0. Beginning from a new user interface, it notably simplifies the process of navigating within the platform. Mind you, this ease can be felt by an experienced investigator and a non-technical user alike. Anyway, the interface further puts on the offer a choice between “light mode” and “dark mode” to reduce digital eye strain and improve concentration. We referred to those visual filters that help investigators zero in on a starting point, they also cut back on unnecessary data to narrow down the focus of investigation. This includes automatic categorization of in-demand artifacts like mobile data, chat apps, emails, pictures, and more. Once categorized, you can even highlight the most important artifacts. Such a function is meant to generate better focus on the most important pieces of evidence, pieces that might be available in the form of recently accessed files, connected USB devices, AirDrop activity, and more.
“With the speed of the new FTK 8.0 processing engine, we can get the data into the hands of [our] expert investigators faster – often on the same day,” said Wayne Mitchell, a former FBI Senior Forensic Examiner currently serving as Vice President of Cyber Risk at Kroll. “The interface is easy to understand, and the artifacts are automatically categorized and organized so you’re able to dive right into the investigation and build the story the evidence is showing. FTK 8.0 cuts out all the time needed to manually find the artifacts and piece it all together.”
Rounding up the highlights is a Super Timeline evidence view, which involves empowering investigators to understand and compare evidence sets by creating a visual representation of case evidence. The said representation clubs together timestamps, logs, actions, and other artifacts. As a result, this interactive comparison mode will go a long distance when the agenda is to let examiners compare two different devices and identify potential anomalies, and find correlations. Not just that, the stated feature should also prove useful in uncovering overlaps across communication, movement, or shared contacts.
Founded in 2008, Exterro is today among the biggest players in the field of Legal GRC. This rise largely stems from its proprietary solution, which is the only comprehensive platform that automates the complex interconnections of privacy, legal operations, digital investigations, cybersecurity response, compliance, and information governance. Exterro’s excellence in what it does can be understood, if you consider the fact that it serves, at the moment, in-house legal, privacy, and IT teams at Global 2000 and Am Law 200 organizations.
“After adding in the new FTK 8.0 interface to our existing distributed processing environment, our review workflow is even easier and is simple enough for users of all skill levels to be instantly productive,” said John Price, Detective Sergeant at West Midlands Police Digital/Cyber Forensics in the UK. “FTK is now the best solution on the market to combine their powerful, scalable backend with a simple, intuitive UI that allows our reviewers to be more efficient and ultimately complete their evidence examinations faster than ever.”