Digital Forensics Coursework
Digital Forensics Coursework
University
Digital forensics
Group work
Group members
1. Muhumuza Enock
2. Amutuhaire Winner
3. Ainembabazi Zaharat
4. Tindimwebwa Dinnah
What is data recovery?
Data recovery is the process of restoring data that has been lost, accidentally, corrupted or made
inaccessible.
Digital forensics experts use various tools and techniques to detect and extract hidden or deleted
information from files to uncover potential evidence in investigations
File Recovery Software: These tools scan storage devices for deleted or lost files and attempt to
recover them. Examples include Recuva, Ease US Data Recovery Wizard, and TestDisk.
Backup Restoration: If you have regular backups, you can restore lost data from them using
built-in or third-party backup software.
Drive Imaging: This involves creating a sector-by-sector copy (image) of a damaged drive,
which can be used for data recovery without further damaging the original.
Cleanroom Data Recovery: For physically damaged drives, experts may disassemble the drive
in a cleanroom environment to repair or extract data directly from the drive's platters.
RAID Recovery: When RAID arrays fail, specialized software and hardware tools can be used
to reconstruct data from multiple drives in the array.
Forensic Data Recovery: Typically used in legal or investigative cases, forensic recovery
involves specialized techniques to recover data while preserving its integrity for legal purposes.
Remote Data Recovery: In some cases, experts can remotely recover data over a network
connection, especially for logical data loss issues.
Data Carving: This method involves searching for and extracting specific file signatures or
structures from a storage device, even when file system metadata is missing or corrupted.
Data Transfer and Migration: Sometimes, data can be "recovered" by migrating it from an old
or failing storage device to a new one before the old device completely fails.
Online Cloud Data Recovery: For cloud-based data, service providers often have backup and
recovery options that allow you to restore deleted or lost data.
Live System Analysis: Examine a running computer system or device to collect volatile data,
such as open processes, network connections, and system logs.
File Carving: Identify and extract fragmented or deleted files from disk images based on file
signatures or patterns.
File System Reconstruction: Rebuild file systems to recover directory structures, file attributes,
and deleted entries.
Slack Space Analysis: Examine the unallocated space on storage media for remnants of deleted
files and artifacts.
Registry Analysis: Analyze Windows Registry hives to extract valuable information about
system configurations, user activities, and installed software.
Email and Chat Recovery: Retrieve email messages, attachments, and chat logs from email
clients, chat applications, and webmail services.
Mobile Device Forensics: Extract data from mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets,
using specialized tools and techniques.
RAM Analysis: Analyze the volatile memory (RAM) of a live system to extract information
about running processes, encryption keys, and open files.
Data Carving for Multimedia: Extract multimedia files (images, videos, audio) from storage
media without relying on file system metadata.
AUDIT TRAITS
This is a series of records of a computer events, about an operating system, an application or user
activities. A computer system may have several audit trails, each devoted to a particular type of
activity. Auditing is a review and analysis of management operational and technical controls.
Log Files: Log files record activities and events on a computer or network. These logs are
invaluable for reconstructing events, tracking user actions, and identifying security breaches.
Common log types include event logs, access logs, and system logs.
Chain of Custody: In digital forensics, maintaining a clear chain of custody is essential. This
documents the handling and transfer of digital evidence from the moment it's collected to its
presentation in court. It helps ensure the integrity and admissibility of evidence.
Timestamps and Metadata: Timestamps associated with files and data can be crucial for
establishing timelines in investigations. Metadata, such as document properties or EXIF data in
images, can provide additional context about the creation and manipulation of files.
Network Traffic Analysis: Network audit trails involve monitoring and logging network traffic.
These logs can reveal communication patterns, connections to suspicious domains, or
unauthorized access attempts.
Application Logs: Many software applications generate logs that record user actions and system
events. Analyzing these logs can uncover activities related to software usage, potential
vulnerabilities, or malicious actions.
Digital Signatures: Digital signatures are used to verify the authenticity and integrity of digital
documents or messages. Examining digital signatures can help ensure the trustworthiness of
digital records.