Digital Forensic Incident Response

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Digital Forensic Analysis & Incident Response

When an organisation is under cyber attack, suspects internal sabotage, or requires digital evidence for a legal, regulatory or investigative matter, the speed, accuracy and forensic integrity of the response can determine the outcome.

NSI Global provides Digital Forensic Incident Response, also known as DFIR, cyber incident response, digital forensic analysis, electronic evidence preservation and forensic investigation support, for corporate organisations, government agencies, law enforcement bodies, law firms, insurers, regulators and authorised case-managed matters.

Our DFIR services assist with the identification, containment, preservation, analysis and reporting of digital incidents involving compromised devices, cloud accounts, business email compromise, ransomware, insider threat, employee misconduct, intellectual property theft, unauthorised access, spyware, malware and other cyber or evidence-related events.

Contact NSI Global when a cyber incident or suspected insider action requires evidence to be preserved alongside containment and recovery. We work with your technical and legal stakeholders to examine available records, reconstruct activity and identify questions the evidence cannot resolve.

When to engage NSI Global

  • An account or system has been accessed without authority.
  • Confidential data may have been copied, deleted or exposed.
  • Containment is underway but evidence and reporting requirements remain unclear.

NSI Global does not accept direct private instructions in domestic violence, family law, child safety, criminal, civil, AVO/protection order, or sensitive legal matters unless the matter is referred or instructed through an appropriate lawyer, case officer, investigator, law enforcement body, government agency, insurer, recognised support organisation or authorised representative.

Digital Forensic Experience

Our response methodology is built on decades of counterintelligence and digital forensic expertise.

Why this matters
NSI Global’s forensic practice is led by Navid Sobbi. In Wheatley v Peek [2025] NSWCA 265, the Court recorded that he examined the iPhone as a joint court-appointed expert and that his evidence was not disputed. His profile links to the published record and describes his qualifications and work.

Digital Forensic Incident Response Services Include:

For more on protecting evidence before an examination, read:

Critical Information To Consider For Crucial Data

When You Need DFIR Services

Data Breaches and Cyber Incidents

Employee misconduct and Insider Threat

Intellectual property theft

Legal, Regulatory and Insurance Matters

Litigation support and e-discovery

Domestic Violence, Family Law and Protective Matters

Forensic Incident Response Since 2004

When a digital incident occurs, time, precision and evidence preservation are critical. Internal IT teams may be able to assist with business continuity or containment, but they may not have the forensic tools, procedures or evidentiary controls required to preserve evidence for legal, regulatory or investigative use.

At NSI Global, our forensic examiners use law-enforcement forensic platforms — including Cellebrite, Oxygen and Magnet — which are sold only to vetted law-enforcement, government and authorised forensic customers, not on the open market. We work to the standards required for government and defence engagements; specific accreditations are held and disclosed under NDA.

NSI Global applies a structured 9-Step Digital Forensic Incident Response & Electronic Discovery Model (DFIR-EDM), developed specifically for high-stakes legal and corporate investigations. This model ensures:

  • Evidence preservation and chain-of-custody
  • Forensic acquisition and hashing
  • Recovery and analysis of relevant artefacts
  • Timeline reconstruction
  • Integration with legal teams and investigators
  • Litigation support and expert reporting
  • Affidavits and expert witness testimony where required

Acquisition methods depend on the device, system and access available. Where technically appropriate, we acquire a forensic image or other documented extraction and preserve the acquired material. We record relevant handling, integrity checks and material limitations, including any changes introduced by the examination process.

We work closely with solicitors, barristers, insurers, regulators, investigators, corporate stakeholders and authorised case officers to ensure that digital evidence is handled in a manner that is clear, defensible and aligned to the purpose of the investigation.

To learn more about how we support litigation and legal cases, visit:

What the Engagement Provides

Agree initial preservation priorities, sources in scope and reporting milestones. Findings may include an evidence inventory, supported incident timeline, affected accounts or systems, technical observations and remediation priorities. Attribution is qualified by the available evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Digital Forensic Incident Response used for?

Digital Forensic Incident Response, or DFIR, is the process of identifying, containing, preserving, analysing and reporting on digital incidents. DFIR may be used in cyber attacks, data breaches, business email compromise, insider threat investigations, employee misconduct matters, intellectual property theft, litigation and regulatory investigations.

What does a DFIR investigation involve?

A DFIR investigation may involve incident triage, forensic imaging, evidence preservation, log analysis, malware or spyware assessment, cloud account review, email compromise investigation, deleted data recovery, timeline reconstruction and expert reporting.

Who can instruct NSI Global for DFIR services?

NSI Global accepts DFIR instructions from corporate organisations, government agencies, law enforcement bodies, law firms, insurers, regulators, recognised support organisations and authorised case-managed referral pathways.

Does NSI Global accept private DFIR matters?

NSI Global does not accept direct private instructions in domestic violence, family law, child safety, criminal, civil, AVO/protection order or sensitive legal matters unless the matter is referred or instructed through an appropriate lawyer, case officer, investigator, agency, insurer, support organisation or authorised representative.

Can NSI Global assist with domestic violence, AVO or family law matters?

Where appropriate, yes. These matters must be referred or instructed through a lawyer, case officer, law enforcement body, government agency, recognised support organisation or authorised representative. NSI Global does not deal directly with individuals who are the subject of a law enforcement investigation.

What makes your forensic reports admissible in court?

The report explains the material examined, methods used, findings and limitations. Expert reporting can be scoped for the relevant proceedings. Admissibility and evidential weight are determined by the court; a tool, hash value or report format does not guarantee either.

Can I use data recovery software?

It is not recommended. Consumer recovery tools and normal device use may overwrite deleted files, alter metadata or compromise evidence. Where evidence may be required for legal, regulatory or investigative purposes, the device or account should be preserved and assessed using forensic procedures.

What threats does NSI investigate?

NSI Global investigates ransomware, business email compromise, malware, spyware, insider threat, unauthorised access, employee misconduct, intellectual property theft, data exfiltration, cloud compromise, mobile device compromise and other cyber or evidence-related incidents.

Can overwritten data from consumer tools still be recovered?

In most cases, no. Using standard software on an affected device can irreversibly overwrite deleted files.

Can deleted data or spyware/malware traces be recovered?

In many cases, deleted data, system artefacts, application records, logs, metadata or spyware-related traces may still be recoverable. Recovery depends on the device, operating system, encryption, storage behaviour, time elapsed, user activity and whether the evidence has been overwritten.

Can response proceed while evidence is preserved?

Yes. Preservation and response priorities are coordinated with the incident lead, taking immediate safety and operational needs into account.

Discuss an Active Incident or Preservation Requirement

If your organisation, agency, law firm, insurer, regulator, investigator or authorised representative requires Digital Forensic Incident Response, contact NSI Global from a secure device or environment.

For active cyber incidents, compromised email accounts, suspected insider activity, data theft, spyware concerns or evidence preservation matters, early forensic handling is critical. Avoid using affected devices or accounts where possible until forensic advice has been obtained.

In domestic violence, family law, child safety, criminal, civil, AVO/protection order or other sensitive legal matters, NSI Global must be contacted by the lawyer, case officer, investigator, law enforcement body, government agency, recognised support organisation or authorised representative managing the matter.

Please note: NSI Global complies with applicable privacy, surveillance, evidence and computer access laws. We require lawful authority, owner/user consent, legal instruction or other appropriate authorisation before accessing devices, accounts, cloud data or digital evidence.

NSI Global will not accept any job, assignment or instruction from an individual or entity that is the subject of a law enforcement investigation.

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