What is Storage Media?
Storage media are devices that store application and user information. The primary storage media for a computer is usually the internal hard drive. Most internal drives are regular IDE hard drives that come with the computer. A removable drive is another popular storage device that is usually connected by firewire, USB, or parallel port (e.g. portable Zip drives, Jaz drives, or CD/DVD drives). Newer forms of external storage include USB thumb drives and camera storage media.
Most external drives enable flexible data transfer from one computer to another. A computer that has had external drives connected to it usually has evidence in the computer’s registry of using the subject device. When performing a forensic examination during discovery proceedings for litigation, determining if external drives were connected to the computer may help in obtaining additional evidence for discovery.