What is the fastest option for processing artifacts in digital forensics?

Processing only artifacts is often the fastest option for processing in digital forensics because it allows forensic examiners to focus specifically on relevant data that can provide insights into an investigation without the overhead associated with more comprehensive methods. By honing in on artifacts—like web history, file access times, or other user activity logs—investigators can quickly gather actionable intelligence.

This approach minimizes the time spent on data that may not be pertinent to the case, thereby speeding up the overall analysis process. While analyzing metadata, conducting in-depth analysis, or utilizing third-party tools can be valuable in specific contexts, they typically involve more extensive processing, additional rounds of verification, or the overhead of learning and integrating new tools, which can extend the time needed to derive meaningful information. Processing only artifacts streamlines the examination process and allows forensic professionals to achieve faster results in their investigations.