By Manny Kressel

CEO and Founder of BitMindz

Why Processing Engines Outperform Forensic Workstations

When processing large volumes of data in forensic investigations, the choice of tools significantly impacts efficiency and outcomes. While forensic workstations have been traditional, fast computers or high-performance processing engines offer clear advantages. Here’s why . . .

Speed and Efficiency

Fast computers with multi-core processors, higher RAM count, and GPUs process data-intensive tasks—like indexing or decrypting terabytes of data—much faster than forensic workstations, cutting investigation times from days to hours.  Forensic workstations were an excellent choice in the older days of computer forensics; however, in today’s modern day forensics, we simply don’t have the time to use the same machine to make our forensic images AND process that data.  It’s just not feasible.

Scalability

Unlike fixed forensic workstations, fast computers like processing engines scale dynamically. Resources like CPU cores or storage can be adjusted to handle large datasets, avoiding hardware limitations. These limitations on the forensic workstations, often perceived as bottlenecks, drastically increase processing times. It’s essential to incorporate something like a BitMindz Processing Engine to cut those times down considerably.

Cost-Effectiveness

Forensic workstations are costly, often requiring expensive hardware and licenses. Fast computers offer cost-effective alternatives, such as repurposing existing systems or using pay-as-you-go models.

Versatility

Fast computers, like processing engines, run diverse software beyond forensic tasks fast and efficiently, unlike forensic workstations optimized for specific suites. This versatility maximizes hardware utility across industries and gives examiners the tools to process copious amounts of data in a much shorter time frame.

Conclusion

Fast computers or processing engines surpass forensic workstations in speed, scalability, cost, versatility, and collaboration. They are the smarter choice for modern digital investigations.  Forensic workstations still hold their value in the community and are essential to modern-day digital forensics; however, these newer more nimble processing engines give examiners a clear edge in processing.

For questions or comments, please reach out to Manny Kressel at manny@bitmindz.com