Webinar: Every Contact Leaves a Log

Speaker

Veronica Schmitt, Program Lead Digital Forensics, Noroff University College

Synopsis

Logs are often treated as the exhaust of a system, useful only after something goes wrong. When designed with forensic readiness in mind, they become a deliberate record of digital trace exchange. Drawing on Locard’s Exchange Principle, that every contact leaves a trace, this talk explores how the same concept can guide effective logging strategies for incident response and digital forensics. It discusses how to design logging frameworks that anticipate investigative needs before incidents occur, preserve evidence integrity, and align with regulatory and operational requirements. Through practical examples, the session demonstrates how embedding forensic readiness into everyday logging practices can transform compliance efforts into a proactive and evidence-driven security posture.

About the speaker

Veronica Schmitt started her forensic career in 2008. Veronica is also an assistant professor at Noroff University in Norway, where she replaced a warm climate with a more adventurous one.

Veronica holds a Master in Science at Rhodes University in Information Security with a specialisation in the forensic analysis of malware. She is currently doing her PhD in cybersecurity at the University of Plymouth in the UK.

Her PhD is about designing robust logs for medical devices. She prides herself on keeping patients safe, as this is something close to her heart (quite literally). She is also a cyborg, sporting an embedded medical device herself.

She is also a DEF CON goon, and she is the founder of DC2751, and the OWASP Kristiansand project. She has a love for all things ransomware and understands the low level details forensically. Her particular research interests include research into security vulnerabilities in medical devices forming part of the Internet of Things, and how these could be exploited by malicious attackers, as well as what types of forensic artefacts could be identified from any attacks. She believes that incident response should be something that is continuously done and improved on.

She is extremely passionate about protecting people whose lives depend on these medical devices, and her passion led her to become a researcher within an MDM. She is also developing a digital forensics and incident response approach dealing specifically with implanted medical devices and medical devices installed within a healthcare setting.

At her core, Veronica is a forensicator and hacker, in love with every bit, byte, and nibble of knowledge she has obtained. She has a strong belief that the o in logs stand for observability. Knowing what is a problem is half the battle won she believes.

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This event is brought to you by: Cybercrime Forensics SG