Web-forensics use case
Acquire evidence from DevOps and source-code portals
Eviquire can preserve authorized content presented by browser-based source-control and DevOps services: repository and organization context, commits, branches, pull requests, reviews, issues, releases, packages, CI/CD runs, deployment history, visible user activity and downloaded artifacts. It complements rather than replaces a native repository clone, API export, provider audit log, build-system record or endpoint acquisition.
What this use case means
Eviquire can preserve authorized content presented by browser-based source-control and DevOps services: repository and organization context, commits, branches, pull requests, reviews, issues, releases, packages, CI/CD runs, deployment history, visible user activity and downloaded artifacts. It complements rather than replaces a native repository clone, API export, provider audit log, build-system record or endpoint acquisition.
Modern delivery evidence spans mutable web views and immutable-looking identifiers that may still reference force-pushed branches, deleted repositories, rerun jobs or replaced artifacts. A sound acquisition connects each displayed action to the organization, repository, commit, actor presentation, pipeline, environment and supplied artifact without exposing source secrets.
Common situations
When this workflow is useful
- Software-supply-chain, insider, licensing, authorship, breach or deployment investigations
- Preserving a pull request, issue, build, release or deployment before deletion or alteration
- Documenting what a particular organization role could see during an audit or dispute
Recommended process
A documented acquisition workflow
- Define repositories and authority
Identify organizations, projects, repositories, refs, commits, users, pipelines, dates, secrets and excluded code.
- Record role and configuration
Preserve tenant, account permissions, branch protections, visible integrations, timezone and navigation route.
- Acquire the relevant chain
Move from repository or project to commit, pull request, review, issue, build, release or deployment and preserve linked context.
- Preserve authorized artifacts
Download patches, source archives, logs, packages, releases or reports in supplied form without executing untrusted content.
- Correlate and verify
Hash files, record immutable identifiers carefully, and compare with native Git, API, audit, signing or build records when conclusions require them.
Technical guidance
Conditions that affect DevOps-portal acquisition
Confirm these points during a short pre-acquisition validation on the authorized workstation.
Mutable references
Branches, tags, pull requests, build runs and release assets can be rewritten, deleted or rerun.
- Record full commit identifiers.
- Capture selected ref and current state.
- State when history was unavailable.
Secrets and active content
Diffs, logs, variables and packages may reveal credentials or contain malicious code.
- Minimize sensitive collection.
- Do not execute artifacts during acquisition.
- Protect and redact controlled copies.
Portal versus native evidence
Rendered diffs and logs may be truncated or transformed, while a clone or API export answers different questions.
- Preserve native authorized downloads.
- Record truncation and filters.
- Use provider audit or signing evidence for disputed attribution.
Reviewable output
What the evidence package should explain
Project context
Organization, repository, role, ref, commit, pipeline, environment and navigation.
Development history
Displayed changes, reviews, issues, build and deployment events with session video.
Native artifacts
Authorized patches, archives, logs, packages and releases preserved with hashes.
Verification record
Identifiers, timestamps, limitations, provider correlation and chain of custody.
The exact artifacts depend on the source, plan, configuration, authority, and investigation. A report should identify what was and was not collected.
Professional considerations
Authority, proportionality, and limitations
- Source code and build systems contain high-value intellectual property, credentials and customer information.
- Displayed authorship and account activity do not by themselves prove who controlled the account.
- Use isolated analysis procedures for suspicious repositories, packages or build artifacts.
Important: Eviquire supports a documented technical process. It does not establish identity, truth, culpability, infringement, or admissibility, and it does not replace legal advice or a validated organizational procedure.
Standards and primary guidance
Online evidence procedures should be validated for the organization and matter. Useful starting points include SWGDE guidance for acquiring online content, ISO/IEC 27037:2012, and NIST digital-evidence resources.
Frequently asked questions
Does Eviquire clone a Git repository?
No. It preserves browser-presented evidence and downloads; use Git or provider export tools for a native clone.
Can CI/CD logs be captured?
Yes when visible and authorized, subject to truncation and retention.
Should release artifacts be executed?
No. Preserve them unchanged and analyze separately in a controlled environment.
Does a commit author prove identity?
No. Attribution may require signed commits, account audits and other records.
Can deleted history be recovered?
Not unless the authorized portal still exposes it; provider or repository sources may be required.
Who uses this workflow?
Relevant professional roles
This acquisition workflow is commonly relevant to these teams. The appropriate authority, scope, procedure, and review requirements still depend on the matter.
Cyber-threat intelligence teams
Capture malicious infrastructure, actor content, web resources, downloads, and network context.
See role-specific guidance →
Forensic experts
Acquire online evidence with technical context, integrity verification, custody records, and reporting.
See role-specific guidance →
Law firms
Preserve websites and online content for litigation, disclosure, legal holds, and expert review.
See role-specific guidance →In-house legal teams
Preserve early evidence for disputes, compliance, legal holds, and outside-counsel review.
See role-specific guidance →