DIGITAL FORENSIC ANALYSIS
Abstract
This paper contains a detailed analysis of digital forensics. It outlines ways in which the forensic analyst take data and review it keenly to find other crucial evidence. It further reveals how the investigation of data undergoes process from the collected data emanating from the computer network and the digital communication devices. Methodologies will be discussed in this research detail analysis as well. This analysis will follow a systematic approach from requirements, purpose, and aim of the investigations. Then, this document will review tools and techniques.
Introduction
In most occasions, insecurity within the system has occurred because of vulnerability. The vulnerability results in stollen, distorted, or attackers asking for ransom. The breaches have to be stopped using an unambiguous way (Stair & Reynolds, 2012). The institution has to conduct an audit of its system and identify the genesis of all the hurdles. This audit will result in a forensic report that will give a clear picture of the happenings, sources, and files that have been affected by an attack (Legislature, 2009).
The digital forensics is used to investigate offenses and take legal action against offenders. Digital forensics refers to the process encompassing the investigation and recovery of items located in digital devices. This process occurs when there is an offense takes place. The affected files contain crucial evidence that is used by an investigator to trace the attacker and recover data. Special tools, like Forensic Toolkit Imager, are used for network analysis.
Methodology
The methodology is the theoretical and systematic analysis of different methods used in particular research (Dixon, 2010). The techniques in digital forensics will follow a transparent process to get the outcomes. This document will identify requirements for investigation, determine the purpose of the inquiry, and establish well-defined aims of the contacted survey. They are as follows.
Investigation
The investigation requirements encompass all entities involved in the investigation process. Determining requirements compels the institution to which the security breach has occurred to show all the affected files. The investigated files will show the length at which the vulnerability of the system has affected as of invading the system. If this process is necessary, the team should provide all documents required, including the operations, computers, records, and additional essentials.
The investigation aims to create an accurate representation of the security breach to create a solution. The objectives of the survey are ascertaining the source of the vulnerability within the system and seeking measures to evade further crisis. The generated output will be the risk assessments, potential attacks, and mitigation strategy.
Secure Programming Fundamentals
This programming fundamental entails algorithm building ethics which consider software design security. It involves testing of codes and the vulnerability when the development has been completed (Cachin, 2014). In this part, detail analysis of the digital forensic analysis techniques and its phases are .examined. This phase involves a clear guideline that stipulates the steps involved.
Digital Forensic Analysis Methodology
This Analysis Methodology is the method that utilized system analysis for its algorithm and the codes. It cuts across from the preparation, extraction, identification and analysis (Årnes, 2018).
Preservation phases. This stage involves securing, isolating, and preserving digital evidence and the physical state.
Extraction phase. In this stage, data collection take place from a different system where attacks have occurred. These attacks include the DDOs attack, Ransomware or hacking activity. The specific sources these attacks are discovered. The extraction phase helps determine the files that are corrupted and used as Trojans as well.
Identification phase. The process of documenting extracted information of each item on the data list is done again. The specific type of entry is decided first before anything else. If the procedure does not go in line with the request, it is processed, then goes to the next.
Analysis phase. This process involves the determination of what is essential, composing data fragments and forming a conclusion from evidence.
Tools and Techniques
Forensic analysis tools are specialized tools useful in the identification and extraction of threats and vulnerabilities in the system. These tools include Crowd Strike, FTK Imager, CAIN, and Sleuth Kit. Tools such as these are significant in the network traffic analysis, monitoring, detection, and prevention of some packets, viruses, and system supervision.
Weblog and session analysis are processes of analyzing the log and session. These processes are utilized to collect accessibility information and website usage. Wireshark and Snort are standard tools used in this activity. Wireshark utilizes traffic networks and ports which can access the operation of the system. The packets may try to exploit the network. It is useful in the digital investigation to collect digital analysis. Sort application is used to prevent unknown vulnerabilities that can be spread using specific packets.
Hash analysis refers to a technique used to change the characters of data into keys to be indexed and readily accepted. The hashing technique is useful for decryption and encryption of data by digital signatures that are authentic. The taxonomy of the forensic tool from the NIST gives some of the detail of hash analysis and a different system of an algorithm from Linux, and Mac. Several applications use this algorithm for managing hash sets, eliminating duplicate files, searching files, and filtering other data too.
Exploring FTK Imaging and EnCase Forensic Tools
It is essential to examine the FTK imaging and Encase tools of forensic. Doing so will help learn more about the procedures and the impact of the investigations (Widup, 2014). The FTK imager is a useful tool for keeping records of official guidelines that have performed. The sole purpose of this tool is to image storage device and view it. The retrieval process is possible because of the effectiveness of the method to display the storage tool.
The procedure of device imaging has several components. Disk imaging utilizes a copy of sector by sector in storing the whole disk with the file contents and the location. The print is useful as proof when presented to the court. Securing the details and the format of the file is done by file imaging. Then the data is stored in the functional mode. Wireshark is significant for doing network imaging and revealing network traffic of the organization.
This process ensures the files are all imaged in the sector by sector. It resembles the disk imaging process. This process of drive imaging makes use of a backup disk to copy the information from the hard drive and save it as an image file. This image file is in a PDB file format which allows restoration and opening by EaseUs Todo Backup. Most companies adopt this method because they can store evidence in various locations. This mobile forensic enable the investigator to recover digital evidence from a device that is under a security breach. It is significant in securing data from a mobile device and presenting before it in generic form (Rowles, 2017).
Relevance to Investigation
Forensic tools have significant value to the investigators by assisting in digital evidence analysis. The core objective is to analyze the evidence, aiding investigators in deducing facts, and sourcing attack origins. The tools can also recover manipulated and corrupted files. This tool will segment all the data in trying to analyze the root cause of the attack. Since the evidence is from the archives, they are well documented and preserved for further investigation
Analysis of Forensic Investigations
A lot of data is at the operating system and logs of the applications. The log inspection helps to control deep security. This module can analyze and collect the security events of the applications and the operating system logs. This log inspection rule tries to optimize the identification of significant events of security hidden in multiple entries of the log files. The log inspection is essential in the investigation since it analyzes the gravity of security emanated from malware and analyzes to check if action is harmful or authentic to the system (Carrier, 2010).
Retrieving Deleted Files
Files are an essential document in a system. They contain detailed information about the order in action. Generation of each file took place and recorded whenever the system starts to work. The data need to be kept safe from getting lost and being corrupted. The aim of retrieving deleted files is to give evidence on traces of the security breach. The files contain traces of log files and action taken during the activity. The attackers may decide to delete the file to hide evidence. It also provides an opportunity to recover similar instances of the deleted files from the storage device.
The deleted files retrieval with various methods takes place, including the use of recovery software or by scanning the hard disk using forensic tools. The processes also range in complexity. One can use special forensic tools to browse the drives of the affected system, analyze encrypted files, then recover damaged data. The easiest method is retrieval from the recycle bin.
It is Important to retrieve deleted files. Data recovery is useful in ensuring the lost information is retrieved back from the data storage that has corrupted. This provides an effective platform for the process of investigation to commence. The retrieved data contains the source of data, the length at which it has been affected, traces of actions, and type of attacks after the thorough analysis (Chuck Easttom, 2011).
References
Årnes, A., (2018). Digital forensics. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Cachin, C., (2014). Introduction to reliable and secure distributed programming. New York City: Springer.
Carrier, B., (2010). File system forensic analysis. Upper Saddle River: Addison-Wesley.
Chuck Easttom, J. T. (2011). Computer crime, investigation, and law. Boston: Course Technology, PTR/Cengage Learning.
Dixon, R. M., (2010). Methodology. Oxford: Oxford, Univ. Press.
Legislature, M. (2009). Enterprise IT management : information system audit. Helena: Legislative Audit Division.
Rowles, D., (2017). Mobile marketing: mobile technology revolutionizing marketing, communication, and advertising. London: Kogan Page.
Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2012). Information systems. Australia: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
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