Forensicsan

Forensicsan is a term that has appeared in some digital forensics discussions but does not have a universally agreed meaning in mainstream practice. In several contexts it is used as a portmanteau of forensic analysis and Storage Area Network (SAN), referring to approaches for handling evidence that resides on SAN-based storage infrastructure. The term may also appear as a brand name or in fictional or hypothetical settings.

In one practical interpretation, forensicsan describes procedures for identifying, preserving, and analyzing data stored on SANs in a forensically sound manner. This includes locating relevant volumes or LUNs, ensuring read-only access or using write-blocking where possible, creating forensic images of storage objects, and generating cryptographic hashes to verify integrity. Documentation is emphasized to maintain chain of custody, with careful notes on data provenance, access events, and tool configurations. Practitioners often align with general digital forensics standards such as ISO/IEC 27037 (guidelines for digital evidence) and ISO/IEC 27042 (guidelines for digital evidence analysis), as well as NIST guidelines, while adapting them to SAN-specific challenges.

Challenges associated with forensicsan include complex data architectures, snapshot and replication technologies, deduplication, and encryption at rest, which can complicate acquisition and verification. Multi-tenant environments and heterogeneous hardware from multiple vendors add further complexity to evidence handling and cross-jurisdictional considerations.

See also digital forensics, storage area network, data integrity, and chain of custody.