Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

The Identification Of Ignitable Liquids In The Presence Of Pyrolysis Products: Generation Of A Pyrolysis Product Database, Joseph Castelbuono

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fire debris analyst is often faced with the complex problem of identifying ignitable liquid residues in the presence of products produced from pyrolysis and incomplete combustion of common building and furnishing materials. The purpose of this research is to investigate a modified destructive distillation methodology provided by the Florida Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosive Analysis to produce interfering product chromatographic patterns similar to those observed in fire debris case work. The volatile products generated during heating of substrate materials are extracted from the fire debris by passive headspace adsorption and subsequently analyzed by GC-MS. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Developing A Process Model For The Forensic Extraction Of Information From Desktop Search, Timothy Pavlic, Jill Slay, Benjamin Turnbull

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Desktop search applications can contain cached copies of files that were deleted from the file system. Forensic investigators see this as a potential source of evidence, as documents deleted by suspects may still exist in the cache. Whilst there have been attempts at recovering data collected by desktop search applications, there is no methodology governing the process, nor discussion on the most appropriate means to do so. This article seeks to address this issue by developing a process model that can be applied when developing an information extraction application for desktop search applications, discussing preferred methods and the limitations of …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Guide To Computer Forensics And Investigations (3rd Ed.), Keyu Jiang, Ruifeng Xuan

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Windows-Based Computer Forensics Application Software Running On A Macintosh, Gregory H. Carlton

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The two most common computer forensics applications perform exclusively on Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, yet contemporary computer forensics examinations frequently encounter one or more of the three most common operating system environments, namely Windows, OS-X, or some form of UNIX or Linux. Additionally, government and private computer forensics laboratories frequently encounter budget constraints that limit their access to computer hardware. Currently, Macintosh computer systems are marketed with the ability to accommodate these three common operating system environments, including Windows XP in native and virtual environments. We performed a series of experiments to measure the functionality and performance of the two …

Data Mining Techniques In Fraud Detection, Rekha Bhowmik

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The paper presents application of data mining techniques to fraud analysis. We present some classification and prediction data mining techniques which we consider important to handle fraud detection. There exist a number of data mining algorithms and we present statistics-based algorithm, decision treebased algorithm and rule-based algorithm. We present Bayesian classification model to detect fraud in automobile insurance. Naïve Bayesian visualization is selected to analyze and interpret the classifier predictions. We illustrate how ROC curves can be deployed for model assessment in order to provide a more intuitive analysis of the models.

Book Review: Challenges To Digital Forensic Evidence, Gary C. Kessler

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This issue presents the fifth Book Review column for the JDFSL. It is an experiment to broaden the services that the journal provides to readers, so we are anxious to get your reaction. Is the column useful and interesting? Should we include more than one review per issue? Should we also review products? Do you have suggested books/products for review and/or do you want to write a review? All of this type of feedback -- and more -- is appreciated. Please feel free to send comments to Gary Kessler ([email protected]) or Glenn S. Dardick ([email protected]).

Book Review: The Dotcrime Manifesto: How To Stop Internet Crime, Gary C. Kessler

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

The 2007 Analysis Of Information Remaining On Disks Offered For Sale On The Second Hand Market, Andy Jones, Craig Valli, Glenn S. Dardick, Iain Sutherland

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

All organisations, whether in the public or private sector, increasingly use computers and other devices that contain computer hard disks for the storage and processing of information relating to their business, their employees or their customers. Individual home users also increasingly use computers and other devices containing computer hard disks for the storage and processing of information relating to their private, personal affairs. It continues to be clear that the majority of organisations and individual home users still remain ignorant or misinformed of the volume and type of information that is stored on the hard disks that these devices contain …

To License Or Not To License: An Examination Of State Statutes Regarding Private Investigators And Digital Examiners, Thomas Lonardo, Doug White, Alan Rea

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In this paper the authors examine statutes that regulate, license, and enforce investigative functions in each US state. After identification and review of Private Investigator licensing requirements, the authors find that very few state statutes explicitly differentiate between Private Investigators and Digital Examiners. After contacting all state agencies the authors present a distinct grouping organizing state approaches to professional Digital Examiner licensing. The authors conclude that states must differentiate between Private Investigator and Digital Examiner licensing requirements and oversight.

The Forensics Aspects Of Event Data Recorders, Jeremy S. Daily, Nathan Singleton, Elizabeth Downing, Gavin W. Manes

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The proper generation and preservation of digital data from Event Data Recorders (EDRs) can provide invaluable evidence to automobile crash reconstruction investigations. However, data collected from the EDR can be difficult to use and authenticate, complicating the presentation of such information as evidence in legal proceedings. Indeed, current techniques for removing and preserving such data do not meet the court’s standards for electronic evidence. Experimentation with an EDR unit from a 2001 GMC Sierra pickup truck highlighted particular issues with repeatability of results. Fortunately, advances in the digital forensics field and memory technology can be applied to EDR analysis in …

Data Security Measures In The It Service Industry: A Balance Between Knowledge & Action, N. Mlitwa, Y. Kachala

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

That “knowledge is power” is fast becoming a cliché within the intelligentsia. Such power however, depends largely on how knowledge itself is exchanged and used, which says a lot about the tools of its transmission, exchange, and storage. Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in this respect. As a networked tool, it enables efficient exchanges of video, audio and text data beyond geographical and time constraints. Since this data is exchanged over the worldwide web (www), it can be accessible by anyone in the world using the internet. The risk of unauthorised access, interception, modification, or even …

Book Review: Mac Os X, Ipod, And Iphone Forensic Analysis Dvd Toolkit, Gary C. Kessler

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Apple's hold on the personal computer marketplace started dwindling on August 12, 1981, the day that the IBM PC was introduced. As an Apple ][+ bigot myself, I refused to touch a PC for some years. But I was also a command line bigot, so when the first Macintosh was introduced in 1983 and hermetically sealed the operating system from users, I did not go out and buy one. In fact, like many of my era, I did eventually end up on the PC side which, ironically, let me do many of the things that my trusty Apple ][+ had …

Forensics Image Background Matching Using Scale Invariant Feature (Sift)Transform And Speeded Up Robust Features (Surf), Paul N. Fogg Ii

Theses and Dissertations

In criminal investigations, it is not uncommon for investigators to obtain a photograph or image that shows a crime being committed. Additionally, thousands of pictures may exist of a location, taken from the same or varying viewpoints. Some of these images may even include a criminal suspect or witness. One mechanism to identify criminals and witnesses is to group the images found on computers, cell phones, cameras, and other electronic devices into sets representing the same location. One or more images in the group may then prove the suspect was at the crime scene before, during, and/or after a crime. …

Which Sexual Abuse Victims Receive A Forensic Medical Examination? : The Impact Of Children's Advocacy Centers, Wendy A. Walsh, Theodore P. Cross, Lisa M. Jones, Monique Simone, David Kolko

Sociology

Abstract

Objective

This study examines the impact of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) and other factors, such as the child's age, alleged penetration, and injury on the use of forensic medical examinations as part of the response to reported child sexual abuse.

Methods

This analysis is part of a quasi-experimental study, the Multi-Site Evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers, which evaluated four CACs relative to within-state non-CAC comparison communities. Case abstractors collected data on forensic medical exams in 1,220 child sexual abuse cases through review of case records.

Results

Suspected sexual abuse victims at CACs were two times more likely to have …

Validation Of A Short Tandem Repeat Multiplex Typing System For Genetic Individualization Of Domestic Cat Samples, Nikia Coomber, Victor A. David, Stephen J. O'Brien, Marilyn Menotti-Raymond

Biology Faculty Articles

Aim To conduct developmental validation studies on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based short tandem repeat (STR) multiplex typing system, developed for the purpose of genetic individualization and parentage testing in domestic cat samples.

Methods To evaluate reproducibility of the typing system, the multiplex was amplified using DNA extracted from hair, blood, and buccal samples obtained from the same individual (n = 13). Additional studies were performed to evaluate the system’s species’ specificity, using 26 North American mammalian species and two prokaryotes Sacchromyces and Escherichia coli, sensitivity, and ability to identify DNA mixtures. Patterns of Mendelian inheritance and mutation …

Towards Redaction Of Digital Information From Electronic Devices, Gavin W. Manes, Lance Watson, David Greer, Alex Barclay, John Hale

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In the discovery portion of court proceedings, it is necessary to produce information to opposing counsel. Traditionally, this information is in paper form with all privileged information removed. Increasingly, the information requested during discovery exists in digital form and savvy counsel is requesting direct access to the original digital source: a broad spectrum of additional digital information can be often be extracted using digital forensics. This paper describes the major problems which must be solved to redact digital information from electronic devices. The primary hurdle facing digital redaction is the lack of a rational process for systematically handling encoded, encrypted, …

Do Current Erasure Programs Remove Evidence Of Bittorrent Activity?, Andrew Woodward, Craig Valli

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This research in progress aims to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial programs to erase traces of the use of BitTorrent software. The erasure programs MaxErase, P2PDoctor, Privacy Suite, Window Washer and R-Clean and Wipe were used on a machine that had used the BitTorrent client Azureus to download two torrent files. The drive was imaged and then searched for torrent files. The registry was also examined on the source machine. The program R-Clean and Wipe left evidence in both the registry and the image of the name and type of files that had been downloaded with this software. Of greater …

The Case For Teaching Network Protocols To Computer Forensics Examiners, Gary C. Kessler, Matt Fasulo

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Most computer forensics experts are well-versed in basic computer hardware technology, operating systems, common software applications, and computer forensics tools. And while many have rudimentary knowledge about the Internet and simple network-lookup tools, they are not trained in the analysis of network communication protocols and the use of packet sniffers. This paper describes digital forensics applications for network analysis and includes four case studies.

Keywords: computer forensics education, network forensics, protocol analysis

Textbooks For Computer Forensic Courses: A Preliminary Study, Jigang Liu, Larry Gottschalk, Kuodi Jian

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

As computer forensics develops into one of the fastest-growing areas in the computer related fields, many universities and colleges are offering or are planning to offer a course in computer forensics. When instructors begin to develop a new course in the area, one of critical questions they would ask is what textbook should be used. To better answer the question, we conducted a study in which we tried to find which textbooks are being used in computer forensic courses. We believe that the results and analysis of our study will help instructors in choosing adequate textbooks for their new course …

Education For Cyber Crime Investigators, David Greer, Joe Mulenex, John Hale, Gavin W. Manes

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Digital forensics and cyber crime investigations are continually growing, rapidly changing fields requiring law enforcement agencies to meet very rigorous training requirements. New opportunities for committing criminal activity against persons, organization or property are presented every day with the proliferation of personal digital devices, computers, the internet, computer networks, and automated data systems. Whether the crime involves attacks against computer systems, electronic information, or more traditional crimes such as murder, money laundering or fraud, electronic evidence is becoming more prevalent. It is no surprise that law enforcement and criminal justice officials are being overwhelmed by the volume of investigations and …

Computer Geolocation Using Extracted Features, Chad M.S. Steel

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper compares the extracted feature data from a sample set of hard drive images in an effort to relate the features to the physical location of the drive. A list of probable zip codes, phone numbers, place names, and IP addresses are extracted from raw drive images and compared to manually identified geolocation data. The results of the individual extractions are then analyzed to determine the feasibility in using automated extraction and analysis techniques for geolocating hard drives.

Keywords: hard disk forensics, geocoding, geolocation

Defending Against Insider Use Of Digital Steganography, James E. Wingate, Glenn D. Watt, Marc Kurtz, Chad W. Davis, Robert Lipscomb

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The trusted insider is among the most harmful and difficult to detect threats to information security, according to the Federal Plan for Information Assurance and Cyber Security Research and Development released in April 2006. By default, employees become trusted insiders when granted the set of privileges needed to do their jobs, which typically includes access to the Internet. It is generally presumed the insiders are loyally working to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives and would not abuse the privileges given to them. However, some insiders will inevitably abuse some of their privileges. For example, a trusted insider might abuse …

Investigating Information Structure Of Phishing Emails Based On Persuasive Communication Perspective, Ki Jung Lee, Il-Yeol Song

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Current approaches of phishing filters depend on classifying messages based on textually discernable features such as IP-based URLs or domain names as those features that can be easily extracted from a given phishing message. However, in the same sense, those easily perceptible features can be easily manipulated by sophisticated phishers. Therefore, it is important that universal patterns of phishing messages should be identified for feature extraction to serve as a basis for text classification. In this paper, we demonstrate that user perception regarding phishing message can be identified in central and peripheral routes of information processing. We also present a …

Monitoring And Surveillance In The Workplace: Lessons Learnt? – Investigating The International Legal Position, Verine Etsebeth

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

When considering the legal implications of monitoring and surveillance in the workplace, the question may be asked why companies deploy computer surveillance and monitoring in the first place. Several reasons may be put forward to justify why more than 80% of all major American firms monitor employee e-mails and Internet usage. However, what most companies forget is the fact that the absence or presence of monitoring and surveillance activities in a company holds serious legal consequences for companies. From the discussion in this paper it will become apparent that there is a vast difference in how most countries approach this …

The Gap Between Theory And Practice In Digital Forensics, Joseph C. Sremack

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Digital forensics is a young field that is being defined by the reactive nature of its development – in terms of both research and practice. As technology develops, digital forensics is forced to react and adapt. The rapid development of technology and the lack of an established theoretical foundation has led to a disconnect between the theory and practice of digital forensics. While the base theoretical issues are being worked on by researchers, practitioners are dealing with entirely new sets of issues. The complexity of investigations is increasing, and anti-forensics techniques are advancing as well. The disconnect will be resolved …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Computer Mediated Communications On Cyberstalking Severity, Stephen D. Barnes, David P. Biros

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The interaction between disjunctive interpersonal relationships, those where the parties to the relationship disagree on the goals of the relationship, and the use of computer mediated communications channels is a relatively unexplored domain. Bargh (2002) suggests that CMC channels can amplify the development of interpersonal relationships, and notes that the effect is not constant across communications activities. This proposal suggests a line of research that explores the interaction between computer mediated communications (CMC) and stalking, which is a common form of disjunctive relationships. Field data from cyberstalking cases will be used to look at the effects of CMC channels on …

Guideline Model For Digital Forensic Investigation, Salma Abdalla, Sherif Hazem, Sherif Hashem

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper proposes a detailed guideline model for digital forensics; the proposed model consists of five main phases, Preparation phase, Physical Forensics and Investigation Phase, Digital Forensics Phase, Reporting and Presentation Phase, and Closure Phase.

Most of the existing models in this field do not cover all aspects of digital forensic investigations, as they focus mainly on the processing of digital evidence or on the legal points. Although they gave good information to base on it a guide, but they are not detailed enough to describe fully the investigative process in a way that can be used by investigators during …

New Federal Rules And Digital Evidence, Gavin W. Manes, Elizabeth Downing, Lance Watson, Christopher Thrutchley

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The newly revised Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and developments under the Federal Rules of Evidence have a significant impact on the use, collection, and treatment of digital evidence for legal proceedings. The Rules now formally grant electronic documents and digital evidence the same status as paper and other forms of tangible evidence. As a result, the availability and proper preservation of potentially relevant electronic evidence must be considered, at the very latest, in the preliminary stages of litigation and, at the earliest, as soon as litigation is reasonably anticipated. It is important for professionals to be familiar with the …