Taxonomy of Digital Forensics: Investigation Tools and Challenges

Nikita Rana1, Gunjan Sansanwal1, Kiran Khatter1,2 and Sukhdev Singh1,2 1Department of Computer Science and Engineering Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad-121004, India 2Accendere Knowledge Management Services Pvt. Ltd., India

Abstract

In today’s world of computers, any kind of information can be made available within few clicks for different endeavours. The information may be tampered by changing the statistical properties and can be further used for criminal activities. These days, Cybercrimes are happening at a very large scale, and possess big threats to the security of an individual, firm, industry and even to developed countries. To combat such crimes, law enforcement agencies and investment institutions are incorporating supportive examination policies, procedures and protocols to address the complete investigation process. The paper entails a detailed review of several cybercrimes followed by various digital forensics processes involved in the cybercrime investigation. Further various digital forensics tools with detail explanation are discussed with their advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and drawbacks. A comparison among all the selected tools is also presented. Finally the paper recommends the need of training programs for the first responder and judgement of signature based image authentication.

1. INTRODUCTION

Computer is a masterpiece made by the human race that has made our lives smooth and effortless. Computers have become the very bedrock of today’s technological environment and we use them in almost every aspect of our customary life. They are everywhere from shopping, banking to school and hospitals, even our own homes. Businesses depend on these devices and the Internet to do their daily transactions, marketing and communications across the globe and given to our desideratum to have the best of everything it has seen noteworthy diversifications. Generous volume of information that includes financial and personal information is stacked on the servers daily. People have become so reliant over the usage of computers that they have started to call this structured form of environment as Cyberspace. The word ‘Cyberspace’ itself defines the space of cyber or in technical terms, a notional environment of computer networks over which communication takes place [1]. The term was first featured in a book called “Neuromancer” by William Gibson in 1984 (Page 4, Phantasia Press Edition, Bloomfield, MI, 1986) [2]. It is a virtual computer world which is used to establish worldwide online communication [3]. It engages TCP/IP protocol to facilitate data exchange exercises. Although it seems like an abstract point, cyberspace has become the destination of millions of people who visit it every day to share their ideas and thoughts, play games, socialise, initiate and boost business, and, many other activities, for this it looks like it must be a real place [4]. Just like the way, every real place is valued in the market; cyberspace has also gained its own value, which can be seen in the form of various applications and services people use in their everyday lives. If we speak in terms of limitations, it has no physical barriers and hence, is not restricted by any territorial limits. Today, a Service provider in one part of the world can freely offer his services to a person sitting across the globe. It is a levelling medium where each person connected to the Internet can avail everything that the Internet has to offer and reap its benefits. The everyday scenarios can be that of people no longer having to opt for hitchhiking and can get the benefits from the application driven cab services such as Ola and Uber. These start-ups have made the drivers to become entrepreneurs without having to become a part of taxi services. Additionally, people can get free knowledge and information from the materials available over the cyberspace. The advent of online education platforms such as Quora, Udemy, Coursera etc. have enabled people to access knowledge which was earlier localized in universities and schools. Even the government, has attained various benefits from the advent of cyberspace as all the form submissions such as voter id cars, driving license, telephone bill and other payments can be done over cyberspace without the people having to wait in long queues. Cyberspace has issued a sense of transparency and the removal of middlemen between the citizens and the government. However, even if the cyberspace has so many benefits it cannot be considered fully trustworthy. Just like we say a coin has two faces, cyberspace also has two faces, one where there are thousands of people getting befitted from it and the other where lots of people who are getting harmed because of it. With the increase in the scope of computer networks, the world has seen a rise in computer

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