UNIT 4 Forensics 11
UNIT 4 Forensics 11
Digital forensic science is the art of recovering and analysing the contents found on
digital devices such as desktops, notebooks/net books, tablets, smart phones, etc., was
little-known a few years ago. However, with the growing incidence of cyber crime, and
the increased adoption of digital devices, this branch of forensics has gained significant
importance in the recent past, augmenting what was conventionally limited to the
recovery and analysis of biological and chemical evidence during criminal
investigations.
Computer forensics is the practice of collecting, analysing and reporting on digital data
in a way that is legally admissible. It can be used in the detection and prevention of
crime and in any dispute where evidence is stored digitally. It is the use of specialized
techniques for recovery, authentication and analysis of electronic data when a case
involves issues relating to reconstruction of computer usage, examination of residual
data, and authentication of data by technical analysis or explanation of technical
features of data and computer usage. Computer forensics requires specialized expertise
that goes beyond normal data collection and preservation techniques available to end-
users or system support personnel. Similar to all forms of forensic science, computer
forensics is comprised of the application of the law to computer science. Computer
forensics deals with the preservation, identification, extraction, and documentation of
computer evidence. Like many other forensic sciences, computer forensics involves the
use of sophisticated technological tools and procedures that must be followed to
guarantee the accuracy of the preservation of evidence and the accuracy of results
concerning computer evidence processing. The use of specialized techniques for
recovery, authentication, and analysis of computer data, typically of data which may
have been deleted or destroyed.
Commonalities:
Legal Admissibility:
Both Cyber Forensics and Digital Forensics aim to collect, analyze, and present digital
evidence in a legally admissible manner.
Investigative Techniques:
Share common investigative techniques, such as data acquisition, analysis,
interpretation, and reporting.
Chain of Custody:
Emphasize the importance of maintaining a secure chain of custody for digital evidence
to ensure its integrity and admissibility in court.
Cross-Disciplinary:
Involve a cross-disciplinary approach, combining aspects of computer science, law, and
criminal justice.
Training and Certification:
Professionals in both fields often pursue specialized training and certification to
enhance their skills and credibility.
An E-Mail system is a combination of hardware and software that controls the flow of E-
Mail. Two most important components of an email system are:
E-Mail server
E-Mail gateway
E-Mail servers are computers that forward, collect, store, and deliver email to their
clients. The general overview of how an email system works is shown in the following
figure:
E-Mail gateways are the connections between email servers. Mail server software is a
software which controls the flow of email. Mail client is the software which is used to
send and receive (read) emails. An email contains two parts:
Header
Body
Email header is very important from forensics point of view. A full header view of an
email provides the entire path email’s journey from its source to destination. The header
also includes IP and other useful information. Header is a sequence of fields (key-value
pair).
The body of email contains actual message. Headers can be easily spoofed by
spammers. Header protocol analysis is important for investigating evidence. After
getting the source IP address we find the ISP’s details. By contacting ISP, we can get
further information like:
Name
Address
Contact number
Internet facility
Type of IP address
Any other relevant information
It is important during investigations that logs of all servers in the chain need to be
examined as soon as possible. If the server mentioned in the bottom received section
does not match the server of the email sender, it is a fake email. The Message-ID will
help to find a particular email log entry in a email server. RFC2822 defines the Internet
message format. According to RFC2822:
The digital forensics process is shown in the following figure. Forensic life cycle phases
are:
1. Preparation and identification
2. Collection and recording
3. Storing and transporting
4. Examination/investigation
5. Analysis, interpretation, and attribution
6. Reporting
7. Testifying
Different files
Files and file systems
Processes and files
Log files
In case of a network, the interactions can be between devices in the organization or
across the globe (Internet). If the evidence is never identified as relevant, it may never
be collected and processed.
2. Collecting and Recording Digital Evidence
Digital evidence can be collected from many sources. The obvious sources can be:
Mobile phone
Digital cameras
Hard drives
CDs
USB memory devices
Forensics specialist should ensure that he/she has proper legal authority to seize, copy
and examine the data. As a general rule, one should not examine digital information
unless one has the legal authority to do so. Forensic investigation performed on data at
rest (hard disk) is called dead analysis.
Many current attacks leave no trace on the computer’s hard drive. The attacker only
exploits the information in the computer’s main memory. Performing forensic
investigation on main memory is called live analysis. Sometimes the decryption key
might be available only in RAM. Turning off the system will erase the decryption key.
The process of creating and exact duplicate of the original evidence is called imaging.
Some tools which can create entire hard drive images are:
DCFLdd
Iximager
Guymager
The original drive is moved to secure storage to prevent tampering. The imaging
process is verified by using the SHA-1 or any other hashing algorithms.
In digital forensics, only a few sequences of events might produce evidence. But the
possible number of sequences is very huge. The digital evidence must be analyzed to
determine the type of information stored on it. Examples of forensics tools:
Forensics Tool Kit (FTK)
EnCase
Scalpel (file carving tool)
The Sleuth Kit (TSK)
Autopsy
Forensic analysis includes the following activities:
Manual review of data on the media
Windows registry inspection
Discovering and cracking passwords
Performing keyword searches related to crime
Extracting emails and images
6. Reporting
After the analysis is done, a report is generated. The report may be in oral form or in
written form or both. The report contains all the details about the evidence in analysis,
interpretation, and attribution steps. As a result of the findings in this phase, it should
be possible to confirm or discard the allegations. Some of the general elements in the
report are:
Identity of the report agency
Case identifier or submission number
Case investigator
Identity of the submitter
Date of receipt
Date of report
Descriptive list of items submitted for examination
Identity and signature of the examiner
Brief description of steps taken during examination
Results / conclusions
7. Testifying
This phase involves presentation and cross-examination of expert witnesses. An expert
witness can testify in the form of:
Testimony is based on sufficient facts or data
Testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods
Witness has applied principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case
Experts with inadequate knowledge are sometimes chastised by the court. Precautions
to be taken when collecting digital evidence are:
No action taken by law enforcement agencies or their agents should change the
evidence
When a person to access the original data held on a computer, the person must be
competent to do so
An audit trial or other record of all processes applied to digital evidence should be
created and preserved
The person in-charge of the investigation has overall responsibility for ensuring
that the law.
Chain of Custody
A chain of custody is the process of validating how evidences have been gathered,
tracked, and protected on the way to the court of law. Forensic professionals know that
if you do not have a chain of custody, the evidence is worthless.
The chain of custody is a chronological written record of those individuals who have
had custody of the evidence from its initial acquisition to its final disposition. A chain of
custody begins when evidence is collected and the chain is maintained until it is
disposed off. The chain of custody assumes continuous accountability.
Network Forensics
The word “forensics” means the use of science and technology to investigate and
establish facts in criminal or civil courts of law. Forensics is the procedure of applying
scientific knowledge for the purpose of analyzing the evidence and presenting them in
court.
Network forensics is a subcategory of digital forensics that essentially deals with the
examination of the network and its traffic going across a network that is suspected to
be involved in malicious activities, and its investigation for example a network that is
spreading malware for stealing credentials or for the purpose analyzing the cyber-
attacks. As the internet grew cybercrimes also grew along with it and so did the
significance of network forensics, with the development and acceptance of network-
based services such as the World Wide Web, e-mails, and others.
With the help of network forensics, the entire data can be retrieved including
messages, file transfers, e-mails, and, web browsing history, and reconstructed to
expose the original transaction. It is also possible that the payload in the uppermost
layer packet might wind up on the disc, but the envelopes used for delivering it are
only captured in network traffic. Hence, the network protocol data that enclose each
dialog is often very valuable.
For identifying the attacks investigators must understand the network protocols and
applications such as web protocols, Email protocols, Network protocols, file transfer
protocols, etc.
Investigators use network forensics to examine network traffic data gathered from the
networks that are involved or suspected of being involved in cyber-crime or any type of
cyber-attack. After that, the experts will look for data that points in the direction of
any file manipulation, human communication, etc. With the help of network forensics,
generally, investigators and cybercrime experts can track down all the
communications and establish timelines based on network events logged by the NCS.
Processes Involved in Network Forensics:
Some processes involved in network forensics are given below:
Identification: In this process, investigators identify and evaluate the incident
based on the network pointers.
Safeguarding: In this process, the investigators preserve and secure the data so
that the tempering can be prevented.
Accumulation: In this step, a detailed report of the crime scene is documented
and all the collected digital shreds of evidence are duplicated.
Observation: In this process, all the visible data is tracked along with the
metadata.
Investigation: In this process, a final conclusion is drawn from the collected
shreds of evidence.
Documentation: In this process, all the shreds of evidence, reports, conclusions
are documented and presented in court.
Challenges in Network Forensics:
The biggest challenge is to manage the data generated during the process.
Intrinsic anonymity of the IP.
Address Spoofing.
Advantages:
Network forensics helps in identifying security threats and vulnerabilities.
It analyzes and monitors network performance demands.
Network forensics helps in reducing downtime.
Network resources can be used in a better way by reporting and better planning.
It helps in a detailed network search for any trace of evidence left on the network.
Disadvantage:
The only disadvantage of network forensics is that It is difficult to implement.
Authorization
Confidentiality
Payment
Consent and acknowledgement
Limitation of liability
General steps in solving a computer forensics case are:
Prepare for the forensic examination
Talk to key people about the case and what you are looking for
Start assembling tools to collect the data and identify the target media
Collect the data from the target media
Use a write blocking tool while performing imaging of the disk
Check emails records too while collecting evidence
Examine the collected evidence on the image that is created
Analyze the evidence
Report your finding to your client
1. Evolving Technology:
Rapid Technological Advancements: The pace of technological change can outstrip
the development of forensic tools and techniques, making it challenging to keep up.
2. Encryption and Security Measures:
Encrypted Data: The widespread use of encryption can make it difficult to access and
analyze data during forensic investigations.
Security Mechanisms: Increasingly sophisticated security measures can impede the
extraction of evidence from devices.
3. Data Volume and Complexity:
Big Data Challenges: The sheer volume of digital data generated makes it challenging
to sift through and analyze relevant information efficiently.
Complex Data Structures: The complexity of data structures and file formats can
complicate the extraction and interpretation of evidence.
4. Anti-Forensic Techniques:
Anti-Forensic Tools: Perpetrators may employ anti-forensic tools and techniques to
erase or alter digital evidence, making it harder for investigators to reconstruct events.
Data Obfuscation: Deliberate attempts to hide or obfuscate digital trails can pose
challenges in uncovering the truth.
5. Legal and Ethical Issues:
Privacy Concerns: Striking a balance between forensic investigations and individual
privacy rights poses a significant challenge.
Legal Compliance: Adhering to legal procedures, obtaining proper warrants, and
ensuring the admissibility of evidence can be complex.
6. Volatility of Digital Evidence:
Data Volatility: Digital evidence can be volatile and easily altered, requiring swift and
careful handling to preserve its integrity.
Live Systems: Analyzing live systems without causing disruption or altering data is a
challenge.
7. International Jurisdiction:
Cross-Border Investigations: The global nature of cybercrime requires
collaboration across international borders, introducing challenges related to jurisdiction
and legal frameworks.
8. Skill Shortages and Training:
Specialized Expertise: Computer forensics demands highly specialized skills, and
there may be shortages of qualified professionals.
Continuous Training: Rapid changes in technology necessitate ongoing training for
forensic investigators to stay current.
9. Budgetary Constraints:
Resource Limitations: Adequate resources, both in terms of technology and
personnel, are crucial, and budget constraints can hinder effective forensic
investigations.
10. Digital Forensic Tool Validation:
Tool Reliability: Ensuring the reliability and accuracy of forensic tools is challenging
and requires continuous validation and testing.
Open Source Tools: While open-source tools are valuable, their security and
reliability need to be carefully assessed.
11. Data Privacy and Consent:
Consent Challenges: Obtaining consent for digital investigations can be complex,
especially in corporate environments or when dealing with sensitive personal data.
12. Cloud Computing Challenges:
Data Residency: Data stored in the cloud may reside in different jurisdictions, adding
complexity to the legal aspects of investigations.
Access to Cloud Data: Obtaining access to cloud-based evidence can be challenging
due to service provider policies and security measures.
13. Forensic Readiness:
Proactive Planning: Organizations may lack proactive forensic readiness plans,
hindering their ability to respond effectively to incidents.
Addressing these challenges requires a combination of technical innovation, legal
frameworks, collaboration, and ongoing professional development within the field of
computer forensics. As technology continues to evolve, these challenges will persist and
necessitate adaptability and continuous improvement in forensic practice.