macOS forensics is the practice of examining Apple Mac systems for digital evidence. Analysts collect and interpret local artifacts such as browser databases, logs, caches, metadata, and user files to reconstruct activity on a device. Because macOS stores many traces across applications and system components, a single file rarely tells the whole story.
This work matters in cyber security because attackers often leave behind subtle traces even after deleting visible files or clearing history. For example, Safari records on macOS may contain more than a list of URLs, including extra metadata that adds context to browsing activity. Defenders use these artifacts in incident response, malware investigations, insider-threat reviews, and evidence preservation. Good macOS forensics depends on careful acquisition, chain of custody, and correlation across multiple sources so partial records become reliable findings.