Cyb-D Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is a Chennai based Cyber security firm. This firm was hired by AB Bank after regulators flagged compliance gaps. During the audit, the bank faced insider fraud, were manipulation of online banki

CS Professional · Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Cyber Security - Laws and Practice · PYQS · June 2026
Cyb-D Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is a Chennai based Cyber security firm. This firm was hired by AB Bank after regulators flagged compliance gaps. During the audit, the bank faced insider fraud, were manipulation of online banking records was detected. Cyb-D collected logs and e-mails, but in court, the defence challenged the forensic preservation methods. Regulator also objected to AB bank's merged IT and cyber security policy. According to this policy, RBI mandates a separate cyber security framework. Cyb-D drafted a new cyber security policy covering incident response. VAPT, encryption and data protection, while keeping IT operations distinct. Later, AB Bank's lawyers wanted to use legal analytics tool to predict the outcome of customer disputes. While these tools gave useful insights, concerns about privacy and admissibility in court were raised. Cyb-D solved this by anonymizing data, taking consent and following the IT and data protection bill. In another fraud case, Cyb-D did forensic imaging of employee laptops but the defence argued that missing hash values and time stamps weakened the chain of custody. Cyb-D responded by maintaining proper custody logs and using standard forensic methods. Finally, Cyb-D VAPT testing found serious weaknesses in the bank's mobile app. Manager delayed fixing them and hackers later exploited these flaws causing a customer data breach. The bank was sued for negligence. To prevent this in future, Cyb-D setup a risk escalation system, having strict timelines for fixing issues and a high-level committee. In the light of the above case scenario, answer the following questions: In the fraud case with employee laptops, the defence said missing hash values and timestamps weakened the chain of custody. What critical procedural steps must be taken to effectively establish and authenticate the chain of custody in digital forensics?

Answer & Explanation:

Procedure to establish the Chain of Custody In order to assure the authenticity of the chain of custody, a series of steps must be followed. It is important to note that the more information forensic expert obtains concerning the evidence, the more authentic is the created chain of custody. Following procedure is trailed according to the chain of custody for electronic devices: Save the original material. Take photos of the physical evidence. Take screenshots of the digital evidence. Document date, time, and any other information on the receipt of the evidence. Inject a bit-for-bit clone of digital evidence content into forensic computers. Perform a hash test analysis to authenticate the working clone Documentation/Authentication of Chain of Custody: During the process of examination, it is important to document all such information that is beyond the scope of current legal authority and later brought to the attention of the case agent. A comprehensive report must contain following sections: Identity of the reporting agency. Case identifier. Case investigator. Identity of the submitter. Date of receipt. Date of report Descriptive list of items submitted for examination: This includes the serial number, make, and model. Identity and signature of the examiner. Brief description of steps taken during the examination: For example- string searches, graphics image searches, and recovering erased files. Results and Cryptographic Verification Logs: A dedicated annex displaying matching acquisition and verification hash values, helps in proving to the court that the electronic records have remained unaltered throughout the investigation.

Topics: Cyber Security

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