Seminar

On
Topic Name
COMPUTER FORENSICS

Bachelor of Technology
in
Computer Science & Engineering

Submitted By

Anjali Singh
Registration No: 1601298039

GANDHI INSTITUTE FOR TECHNOLOGY (GIFT)

BIJU PATANAIK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA

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 Certificate

This is to certify that the seminar entitled

“Computer Forensics” being submitted by Anjali
Singh bearing Registration No. : 1601298039 in
partial fulfi lment of the requirement for the award
of the degree of Bachelor of Technology in
Computer Science and Engineering is a bonafi de
work carried out at Gandhi Institute For Technology
(GIFT).

Co-Ordinator HOD, CSE

Amrutanshu Panigrahi Pratyush Ranjan Mohapatra

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 CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 THREATS TO THE SYSTEM

1.1.1 COMPUTER FORENSICS

1.1.2 COMPUTER FORENSIC METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER 2: INVESTIGATION OF COMPUTER FORENSICS

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.2 INVESTIGATION

2.3 IMPORTANCE OF INVESTIGATION

2.4 COMPONENETS OF INVESTIGATION

2.5 STEPS OF INVESTIGATION

CHAPTER 3: COMPUTER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY

3.1 TYPES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPUTER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY

3.1.1 MIRROR IMAGE BACKUP SOFTWARE

3.1.2 ANADISK DISKETTE ANALYSIS TOOL

3.1.3 TEXT SEARCH PLUS

3.1.4 INTELLIGENT FORENSIC FILTER

3.2 TYPES OF BUSINESS COMPUTER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY

3.3 FORENSIC SERVICES AVAILABLE

3.3 FORENSIC SERVICES AVAILABLE

3.4 TYPES OF INVESTIGATION

3.4.1 PHYSICAL INVESTIGATION

CHAPTER 4: SKILL REQUIRED TO CONDUCT FORENSIC INVESTIGATION

4.1 TRAINING

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

CONCLUSION

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REFERENCE

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Number page number
Figure-1( Methodology of Computer Forensics) 9

Figure-2(Procedure of investigation) 16

Figure-3(Analyzing the evidence) 17

List of Table
Table Number page number
Table-1(1 shows sample of log user) 18

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We express my deep sense of gratitude and appreciation to Mrs. AMRUTANSHU PANIGRAHI,
Department of COMPUTER SCIENCE Engineering for his constant and valuable guidance and
help in implementing our project topic. He devoted his invaluable time in proving us the guidance
at every step in our seminar.

We would like to express gratitude to Prof. PRATYUSH RANJAN MOHAPATRA, Head of the
Department, COMPUTER SCIENCE Engineering, and GIFT Bhubaneswar for providing us with
this opportunity and for his great help and cooperation.

We are also very thankful to other faculty members of the department of Computer Science
Engineering, for their constant advice, inspiration, and guidance and contributing their valuable
time to giving us encouragement.

Again we are thankful to their valuable suggestion and with whom I shared many ideas through
the problem.

ANJALI SINGH
Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Gandhi Institute for Technology,

Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

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 ABSTRACT
The Internet is growing explosively, as is the number of crimes committed against or using
computers. As a response to the growth of computer crime, the field of computer forensics has
emerged. Computer forensics involves carefully collecting and examining electronic evidence that
not only assesses the damage to a computer as a result of an electronic attack, but also to recover
lost information from such a system to prosecute a criminal. With the growing importance
of computer security today and the seriousness of cyber crime, it is important for computer
professionals to understand the technology that is used in computer forensics.The need for
computer forensics to be practiced in an effective and legal way. It promotes the idea that
the competent practice of computer forensics and awareness of applicable laws is essential for
today's organizations.

As technology has advanced, computers have become incredibly powerful. Unfortunately,

as computers get more sophisticated, so do the crimes committed with them. Distributed Denial
of Service Attacks, ILOVEYOU and other viruses , Domain Name Hijacking, Trojan Horses, and
Websites shut down are just a few of the hundreds of documented attack types generated by
computers against other computers. Managers of information systems should understand computer
forensics. Forensics is the process of using scientific knowledge for collecting ,analyzing and
presenting evidence to the courts. Forensics deals primarily with the recovery and analysis of
latent evidence. Latent evidence can take many forms from fingerprints left on a window to DNA
evidence recovered from bloodstains to the files on a hard drive. Computer forensics is defined as
"the application of computer investigation and analysis techniques in the interests of determining
potential legal evidence. Computer forensics can be used to uncover potential evidence and digital
evidence.

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THREATS TO THE SYSTEM

System threats can be broadly classified into human and environment threats. Environment
threats include power outages, fire and floods. Human threats can be malicious or non-
malicious. A threat is considered malicious if the attack or crime

is committed with full knowledge and intension. A non-malicious threat is one where the
individual does not understand its intent or is ignorant of the action that is about to be
committed. For e.g. :-

 A disgruntled employee may try to break into the organization’s critical business
information to damage the information and the business. This is an example of
malicious human threat.
 An ignorant employee may give out information to a hacker without realizing the
consequences. This is an example of non-malicious human threat.

1.1.1 COMPUTER FORENSICS

“Forensic computing is the process of identifying, preserving, analyzing and presenting digital
evidence in a manner that is legally acceptable.”(Rodney Mckemmish 1999).

From the above definition we can clearly identify four components:-

IDENTIFYING

This is the process of identifying things such as what evidence is present, where and how it is
stored, and which operating system is being used. From this information the investigator can
identify the appropriate recovery methodologies, and the tools to be used.

PRESERVING

This is the process of preserving the integrity of digital evidence, ensuring the chain of custody is
not broken. The data needs to preserved (copied) on stable media such as CD-ROM, using
reproducible methodologies. All steps taken to capture the data must be documented. Any changes
to the evidence should be documented, including what the change was and the reason for the
change. You may need to prove the integrity of the data in the court
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ANALYSING

This is the process of reviewing and examining the data. The advantage of copying this data onto
CD-ROMs is the fact it can be viewed without the risk of accidental changes, therefore
maintaining the integrity whilst examining the changes.

PRESENTING

This is the process of presenting the evidence in a legally acceptable and understandable manner.
If the matter is presented in court the jury who may have little or no computer experience, must all
be able to understand what is presented and how it relates to the original, otherwise all efforts
could be futile. Far more information is retained on the computer than most people realize. Its also
more difficult to completely remove information than is generally thought. For these reasons(and
many more), computer forensics can often find evidence or even completely recover, lost or
deleted information, even if the information was intentionally deleted. The goal of computer
forensics is to retrieve the data and interpret as much information about it as possible as compared
to data recovery where the goal is to retrieve the lost data

1.1.2 COMPUTER FORENSIC METHODOLOGY

Forensic investigation methodology is basically the approach that an investigator follows to

retrieve possible evidence that may exit on a subject’s computer system. For e.g., the following
steps should be taken :-

1. Shut Down the Computer

Depending upon the computer operating system involved, this usually involves pulling the plug or
shutting down a net work computer using relevant operating system commands. At the option of
the computer specialists, pictures of the screen image can be taken using a camera. However,
consideration should be given to possible destructive processes that may be operating in the
background. These can be resident in memory or available through a modem or network
connection. Depending upon the operating system involved, a time delayed password protected
screen saver may potentially kick in at any moment. This can complicate the shutdown of the
computer. Generally, time is of the essence and the computer system should be shut down or
powered down as quickly as possible

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Fig 1: Methodology of Computer Forensics

2. Document the Hardware Configuration of The System

It is assumed that the computer system will be moved to a secure location where a proper chain of
custody can be maintained and the processing of evidence can begin. Before dismantling the
computer, it is important that pictures are taken of the computer from all angles to document the
system hardware components and how they are connected. Labeling each wire is also important so
that the original computer configuration can be restored. Computer evidence should ideally be
processed in a computer hardware environment that is identical to the original hardware
configuration.

3. Transport the Computer System to A Secure Location

This may seem basic but all too often seized evidence computers are stored in less than secure
locations. It is imperative that the subject computer is treated as evidence and it should be stored
out of reach of curious computer users. All too often,individuals operate seized computers without
knowing that they are destroying potential computer evidence and the chain of custody.
Furthermore, a seized computer left unintended can easily be compromised. Evidence can be
planted on it and crucial evidence can be intentionally destroyed. A lack of a proper chain of
custody can 'make the day' for a savvy defense attorney . Do not leave the computer unattended
unless it is locked in a secure location

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4. of Hard Disks and Floppy Disks
The computer should not be operated and computer evidence should not be processed until bit
stream backups have been made of all hard disk drives and floppy disks. All evidence processing
should be done on a restored copy of the bit stream backup rather than on the original computer.
The original evidence should be left untouched unless compelling circumstances exist.
Preservation of computer evidence is vitally important. It is fragile and can easily be altered or
destroyed. Often such alteration or destruction of data is irreversible. Bit stream backups are much
like an insurance policy and they are essential for any serious computer evidence processing.

5. Mathematically Authenticate Data on All Storage Devices

6. You want to be able to prove that you did not alter any of the evidence after the computer
came into your possession. Such proof will help you rebut allegations that you changed or
altered the original evidence. Since 1989, law enforcement and military agencies have used a
32 bit mathematical process to do the authentication process. Mathematically, a 32 bit data
validation is accurate to approximately one in 4.3 billion. However, given the speed of today's
computers and the vast amount of storage capacity on today's computer hard Transport the
Computer System to A Secure Location

This may seem basic but all too often seized evidence computers are stored in less than secure
locations. It is imperative that the subject computer is treated as evidence and it should be stored
out of reach of curious computer users. All too often,individuals operate seized computers without
knowing that they are destroying potential computer evidence and the chain of custody.
Furthermore, a seized computer left unintended can easily be compromised. Evidence can be
planted on it and crucial evidence can be intentionally destroyed. A lack of a proper chain of
custody can 'make the day' for a savvy defense attorney . Do not leave the computer unattended
unless it is locked in a secure location

Make Bit Stream Backups disk drives, this level of accuracy is no longer accurate enough. A 32
bit CRC can easily be compromised. Therefore, NTI includes two programs in its forensic suites

10
of tools that mathematically authenticate data with a high level of accuracy. Large hashing
number, provides a mathematical level of accuracy that is beyond question.

7. Document the System Date and Time

The dates and times associated with computer files can be extremely important from an evidence
standpoint. However, the accuracy of the dates and times is just as important. If the system clock
is one hour slow because of daylight-saving time, then file time stamps will also reflect the wrong
time. To adjust for these inaccuracies, documenting the system date and time settings at the time
the computer is taken into evidence is essential..

8. Make a List of Key Search Words

Because modern hard disk drives are so voluminous, it is all but impossible for a computer
specialist to manually view and evaluate every file on a computer hard disk drive. Therefore,
state-of-the-art automated forensic text search tools are needed to help find the relevant evidence.

9. Evaluate the Windows Swap File

The Windows swap file is potentially a valuable source of evidence and leads. The evaluation of
the swap file can be automated with several of NTI's forensic tools, e.g., NTA Stealth, Filter_N, F
Names, Filter G, G Extract and Get HTML. These intelligent filters automatically identifies
patterns of English language text, phone numbers, social security numbers, credit card numbers,
Internet E-Mail addresses, Internet web addresses and names of people.

9. Evaluate File Slack

File slack is a data storage area of which most computer users are unaware. It is a source of
significant 'security leakage' and consists of raw memory dumps that occur during the work
session as files are closed. The data dumped from memory ends up being stored at the end of
allocated files, beyond the reach or the view of the computer user. Specialized forensic tools
are required to view and evaluate file slack and it can prove to provide a wealth of information
and investigative leads. Like the Windows swap file, this source of ambient data can help provide
relevant key words and leads that may have previously been unknown.

10. Evaluate Unallocated Space (Erased Files)

The DOS and Windows 'delete' function does not completely erase file names or file content.
Many computer users are unaware the storage space associated with such files merely becomes
unallocated and available to be overwritten with new files. Unallocated space is a source of

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significant 'security leakage' and it potentially contains erased files and file slack associated with
the erased files. Often the DOS Undelete program can be used to restore the previously erased
files. Like the Windows swap file and file slack, this source of ambient data can help provide
relevant key words and leads that may have previously been unknown to the computer
investigator.

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11. Search Files, File Slack and Unallocated Space for Key Words
The list of relevant key words identified in the previous steps should be used to search all relevant
computer hard disk drives and floppy diskettes. There are several forensic text search utilities
available in the marketplace. NTI's forensic search Text Search NT can be used for that purpose
and it has been tested and certified for accuracy by the U. S. Department of Defense. This
powerful search tool is also included as part of NTI's suites of software tools.

12. Document File Names, Dates and Times

From an evidence standpoint, file names, creation dates, last modified dates and times can be
relevant. Therefore, it is important to catalog all allocated and 'erased' files. NTI includes a
program called File List Pro in its various suites of forensic tools. The File List Pro program
generates its output in the form of a database file. The file can be sorted based on the file name,
file size, file content, creation date, last modified date and time. Such sorted information can
provide a timeline of computer usage.

13. Identify File, Program and Storage Anomalies

Encrypted, compressed and graphic files store data in binary format. As a result, text data stored in
these file formats cannot be identified by a text search program. Manual evaluation of these files
is required and in the case of encrypted files, much work may be involved. NTI's TextSearch Plus
program has built in features that automatically identify the most common compressed and
graphic file formats. The use of this feature will help identify files that require detailed manual
evaluation. Depending on the type of file involved, the contents should be viewed and evaluated
for its potential as evidence.

14. Evaluate Program Functionality

Depending on the application software involved, running programs to learn their purpose may be
necessary. NTI's training courses make this point by exposing the students to computer
applications that do more than the anticipated task. When destructive processes are discovered that
are tied to relevant evidence, this can be used to prove willfulness. Such destructive processes can
be tied to 'hot keys' or the execution of common operating commands tied to the operating system
or applications

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 CHAPTER 2
INVESTIGATION OF COMPUTER FORENSICS
2.1 INTRODUCTION

Cyber crime occurs when information technology is used to commit or conceal an offence.
Computer crime include:-

- Financial frauds
- Sabotage of data and/or networks
- System penetration from outside and denial of service
- Unauthorized access by insiders and employee misuse of internet access
privileges
- Viruses, which are the leading cause of unauthorized users gaining
access to systems and networks through the internet.

2.2 INVESTIGATION

Investigation is the process of collecting, analyzing, and recovering, evidence, and presenting, a
report detailing a crime. Evidence is the key factor that determines a crime and helps prosecute the
guilty in the court of law.

The investigation process consists of procedures and techniques for finding out what happened,
what damage was done, and to what extend, whether the intruder is still a threat, and whether any
fixes still need to be implemented. An investigation, to a great extent depends on the skill of the
investigator or forensic expert.

2.3 IMPORTANCE OF INVESTIGATION

With the increase in system and cyber crime and the uses of new tools and techniques,
organizations have realized that it is not only important to prevent these crimes and protect
information, but to trace the source of crime.

Tracing the footprint of a computer crime is important because:

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  It helps to understand the system security weaknesses:-
Investigating a computer crime helps an organization understand if the system were
exploited for a weakness in the security system. For e.g. administrators need not know if
an existing flaw helped someone transfer money from one bank account to another, and
whether that flaw still exists.

 It helps to understand security violation techniques:-

The techniques could range from implanting spyware in the systems, to recruiting
internal employees to gain security information to sabotage organizations from within. An
investigation might collect information such as each employee’s involvement, and the way
the crime was organized.

 It helps to identify future security needs:-

These investigations also provide information on new tools that were used or are being
developed. The investigations may help companies and even law-enforcement agencies
discover future trends and design new tools to protect network s and information.

 It helps to prosecute criminals:-

If the crime has led to financial and other losses, prosecution may be initiated against the
criminals. Investigation becomes extremely important, because without it, there can be no
case.

2.4 COMPONENTS OF INVESTIGATION

An investigation has three important components. They are:-

 EVIDENCE:-
Almost all types of investigation of a system crime relies on the evidence obtained from
the target computer. You can collect evidence for a computer crime by analyzing digital
data such as e-mails, files, and other system information. Evidence provides vital
information about the crime in terms of tools and techniques that were used

2.5 STEPS FOR INVESTIGATION

Every investigation follows a well-defined procedure. The procedure involves the following four
steps:-

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Fig 2: Procedure of investigation

 COLLECTING EVIDENCE:
The first and the most important step in an investigation is collection of evidence. sAs an
investigator, it is important to understand, to know, and to choose what is to be treated as
evidence from the available information. The evidence varies from

situation to situation. E.g., the evidence from investigating a hard disk may be different from
investigating a CD-ROM drive. It is important that the investigator is up-to date with the new
technologies, and of what they can and cannot do.

 ANALYZING EVIDENCE:
The second step is analyzing the evidence.

There are different tools and techniques that are used to commit computer crime. It is important to
identify the tools as well as the techniques. These provide the all important footprints of the
crimes. These footprints can be evaluated later to translate them into meaningful sources of
evidence. Many vulnerability software manufacturers recognize the fact that their software is also
effective hacking tools, so they are designed to leave their identity traces along the path they
followed, this serves as strong forensic evidence against the acts of computer crimes and
criminals.
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 RECOVERING EVIDENCE:
There is certain evidence that is removed by computer criminals for various reasons. At times,
there are changes in the evidence simply because the system was rebooted. As an investigator,
you must attempt to recover all the data that might have been tampered with, and locate the
information that may be of some evidence.

Fig 3: Analyzing the evidence

 PRESERVING EVIDENCE:
After all the evidence as been collected, it is important to preserve it, as it existed during or
soon after the crime. The procedure should follow a “well-deviced” technique to avoid any
changes in the data. Following is a checklist used to ensure that the evidence remains
protected and preserved:-

- The evidence is not damaged or altered due to tools and techniques used
for investigation.

- The evidence is protected from mechanical or electromagnetic damage.

- The target computer is not infected by any virus during the investigation
process.
- Business operations of the organization are not affected during the
investigation.
- Continuing chain of evidence is maintained.
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Table 1.1 shows sample of log user

RECORD 1 RECORD 2

User Id: user1 User Id: user 2

TimeL showed: 12:30:00 TimeL showed: 12:40:50

DateL showed: 22-07-2003 DateL showed: 22-07-2003

TimeS showed: 10:40:00 TimeS showed: 10:50:50

DateS showed: 22-07-2003 DateS showed: 22-07-2003

Duration: 20mins Duration: 30mins

System Id: s1 System Id: s1

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 CHAPTER 3

COMPUTER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY

Computer forensics tools and techniques have proven to be a valuable resource for law
enforcement in the identification of leads and in the processing of computer-related evidence.
Computer forensic tools and techniques have become important resources for use in internal
investigations, civil law suits, and computer security risk management.

3.1 TYPES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPUTER FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY

3.1.1 MIRROR IMAGE BACKUP SOFTWARE

SafeBack is a sophisticated evidence-preservation tool. It was developed primarily for

processing of computer evidence. This tool has become the industry standard in the
processing of computer evidence in the world.The back-up image files, created by
SafeBack, can be written to essentially any writable magnetic storage device, including
SCSI tape backup units.

PROGRAM FEATURES AND BENEFITS

- Dos based for ease of operating and speed

- Provides a detail audit trail of the backup process for evidence
documentation purpose.
- Checks for and duplicates data stored in sectors wherein the sector CRC
does not match the stored data.
- Copies all areas of the hard disk drive.
- Allows the archive of non-Dos and non-Windows HDD, (Unix on an
Intel based computer).
3.1.2 ANADISK DISKETTE ANALYSIS TOOL

AnaDisk turns your PC into a sophisticated diskette analysis tool. The software was
originally created to meet the needs of the U.S. Treasury department.

PRIMARY USES

- Security reviews of floppy diskettes for storage

- Duplication of diskettes that are non-standard or that involve storage
anamolies.
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 - Editing disks at a physical sector level.
- Searching for data on FDs in traditional and non-traditional storage
areas.
- Formatting disks in non-traditional ways for training purpose and to
illustrate data-hiding techniques.
PROGRAM FEATURES AND BENEFITS

- Dos based for ease of operation and speed

- All dos formats are supported and many non-dos formats, (apple
machintosh, unix tar, and many others. If the disk fits in the drive, it is
likely that AnaDisk can be used to analyze it.
- Allows custom formatting of disks with extra tracks and sectors.
3.1.3 TEXT SEARCH PLUS

Text Search plus was specifically designed and enhanced for speed and accuracy in
security reviews. It was widely used by classified government agencies and corporations
that support these agencies. The s/w is also used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies
throughout the world in computer crime investigations.

- graphic files (secrets can be hidden in them)

- Alert for compressed files
- High speed operation. This is the fastest tool on the market, which
makes for quick searches on huge HDDs.
- False hits don’t stop processing.
- Screen and file output.
3.1.4 INTELLIGENT FORENSIC FILTER

This enhanced forensic filter is used to quickly make sense of nonsense in analysis of
ambient computer data. This tool is so unique that process patents have been applied for
with the U.S. patent office.

PRIMARY USES

- Used covertly to determine prior activity on a specific computer.

- Used to filter ambient computer data, the existence of which the user is
normally unaware of (memory dumps in slack file, window swap files,
windows DAT files and erased file space).

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 - The ideal tool to use for corporate, military, and law enforcement
investigators.
- Perfect for covert intelligence gathering when laws permit and you have
physical access to the subject computer.

PROGRAM FEATURES AND BENEFITS

- DOS- based for speed. The speed of operation is amazing.

- Automatically processes any binary data object.
- Provides output in an ASCII text format that is ready for import into
any word processing application.
- Capable of processing ambient data files that are up to 2GB in size.

3.2 TYPES OF BUSINESS COMPUTER FORENSIC

TECHNOLOGY

The following types of business computer forensics technology:

 REMOTE MONITORING OF TARGET COMPUTERS

Data interception by remote transmission (DIRT) from codex data system (CDS), Inc, is a
powerful remote control monitoring tool that allows stealth monitoring of all activity on
one or more target computers simultaneously from a remote command center. No physical
access is necessary. Application also allows agents to remotely seize and secure digital
evidence prior to physically entering suspect premises.

 CREATES TRACKABLE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT

Binary audit identification transfer (BAIT) is another powerful intrusion detection tool
from CDS that allows the user to create trackable electronic documents. Unauthorized
intruders who access, download, and view these tagged documents will be identified
(including their location) to security personnel. BAIT also allows security personnel to
trace the chain of custody and chain of commands of all who possess the stolen electronic
document.

 THEFT RECOVERY SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC’s AND LAPTOPS

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 If your pc or laptop is stolen, is it smart enough to tell you where it is? CDs has a solution:
PC Phone Home-another software application that will track and locate a lost or stolen pc
or laptop anywhere in the world. It is easy to install. It is also completely transparent to the
user. If your Phone Home computer is lost or stolen, all you need to do is make a report to
the local police and call CDS – 24 hour command center. CDS’s recovery specialists will
assist local law enforcement in recovery of your property.

 BASIC FORENSIC TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

The digital detective workshop from CDS was created to familiarize investigators and
security personnel with the basic techniques and tools necessary for a successful
investigation of internet and computer related crimes.
-
3.3 FORENSIC SERVICES AVAILABLE

Through forensic evidence acquisition services, CDS forensic expert can provide management
with a potent arsenal on digital tools at its disposal. Services include but are not limited to:

- Lost password and file recovery

- Location and retrieval of deleted and hidden files
- File and e-mail decryption
- E-mail supervision and authentication
- Threatening e-mail traced to source
- Identification of internet activity
- Computer usage policy and supervision
- Remote PC and network monitoring
- Tracking and location of stolen electronic files
- Honey pot sting operation
- Location and identity of unauthorized SW users
- Theft recovery s/w for laptops and PCs.
- Investigative and security software creation
- Protection from hackers and viruses

3.4 TYPES OF INVESTIGATION

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Investigations are done on different lines under different situations. Although investigation techniques
vary, they can be categorized broadly into two types:-

 Physical investigation
 Logical investigation
These investigations give information about the system usage patterns, including application and
resource usage. This information might require application monitoring tools such as sniffers.

3.4.1 PHYSICAL INVESTIGATION

It includes identifying or locating physical evidence, such as removal of computer hardware. Certain
behavior or incident could trigger a physical investigation. Some examples are:-

LOGICAL INVESTIGATION

It can be referred as digital investigation. Logical investigation takes a look at log files that
can be used as evidence against the criminal. It requires a well designed security policy that
clearly defines the process for logging information. It is important that the logs be
maintained systematically. Some of the logical investigation requirements are:-

- No modifications :-
The system logs should not be modified at all. The system should
remain in the same state as it was when the crime occurred or else it
could lead to loss of evidence.

- Log date and time stamp:-

It is important that the date and time stamp of the log has not been
changed. Otherwise this will introduce a difference when connecting
evidence to the change of activity that may have occurred at time of
the crime.

- Logs of the system:-

The logs of the system being investigated must be checked and studied
to analyze their integrity.

- System registry:-
System registry keys must be checked to identify the authenticity of the
last logged-in users and the integrity of critical files.
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- forensic imaging tool:-
forensic imaging tool must be used to make multiple copy of the hard
disk that have been taken for investigation. Bib-by-bit copy of the hard
disk must be made so that no portion of the hard disk whether filled or
empty, is left without being copied. An example of forensic imaging
tool is SETBACK.

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 CHAPTER 4

SKILL REQUIRED TO CONDUCT FORENSIC INVESTIGATION

To conduct a forensic computer investigation, the investigator requires certain

skills, some of which we have already discussed. The following list provides

an overview of the skill s a manager should look for when deciding which

option to use for an investigation

4.1 TRAINING

There are many training courses to learn the art of computer forensics.

eSec Limited and Foundstone Education - conduct 4 day training

courses on Incident Response and Computer Forensics.

Guidance Software - offers six, four day courses: EnCase Introduction to

Computer Forensics, EnCase Intermediate Analysis and Reporting , EnCase

and E-Mail Examinations, EnCase EScript Programming, EnCase Prosecutor

Training, and EnCase Advanced Training . Each has a curriculum designed

to address the various skill levels of the students. Not all of these

courses are available in Australia.

Guidance Software – offers the EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE)

program. Certification is available to anyone who meets the minimum

requirements for the program. Information can be found at

http://www.guidancesoftware.com/html/ence.htm.

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 ADVANTAGES

 It helps in determining the cause of death by examining the postmortem changes, blunt
injuries, burns and scalds on the body, and the scene of death. If it's sudden natural death,
the case is investigated by the coroner or a medical examiner.

 Forensic analysis is used to investigate accident cases and to determine its cause by
analyzing the vehicle condition, tire and other marks, eye witnesses, calculating the
vehicle's speed etc.

 It also includes anthropology and helps in sex determination.

Clinical forensic medicine is useful in finding out child abuse, defensive wounds on a
victim, gunshot wounds, injury patterns in domestic violence victims, self-inflicted
injuries, sexual assault, and semen persistence.

 Biometrics technology is combined with forensics, which helps to identify the fingerprint
of the criminal, on the objects present in the crime scene.

 Phonetics, which is also a part of forensics, that is used to tap the voice signals and
identify the speaker. Speech enhancement, speech coding and tape authentication are other
techniques used in phonetics.

 Other useful aspects of forensic analysis includes fire investigation, forgery and fraud in
payment cards, lie detection, footprint marks, voice analysis, digital imaging and
photography etc.

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 DISADVANTAGES

 DNA analysis of a person is believed to be against human ethics, as it reveals private

information about an individual.

 Equipment used in forensics is expensive.

 Scientific analysis consumes lot of time because of which the verdict is delayed.

 It requires precise and accurate analysis. Even if a minor error occurs in the analysis, it
may result in the wrong figure.

 The evidence cannot be accessible at all times.

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 CONCLUSION

Nowadays as computer is the backbone of the country .so the crimes is being increasing
which are known are cyber crimes.To recover, analyze and preserve the computer related
matters in a way that can be presented as a evidence in the court and to identify the
evidence in a short amount of time, estimate the impact of the activity on the victim and
identify the criminal.to reduce the crimes alternatively.

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 REFERENCE

 File System Forensic Analysis by brian carrier

 The Art of memory Forensic by Michael Lane High

 Incidence Response and Investigation by Jasson Lutgenns.

 www.Computer forensicstechnology.com

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computerforensics

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