how can remote access minimize anti-forensics

How can I secure a remote examination of unclassified forensic evidence?

and secure file transfers can support a secure remote examination environment. This document provides information on the background, risk mitigation tactics, nonroutine offsite options, and additional considerations for the forensic examination of unclassified forensic digital/multimedia evidence.

How can we mitigate the anti-digital forensic problem?

Further research into the origins of anti-digital forensic tools and their developing parties, alongside other variables, could help facilitate the continued mitigation efforts of the anti-digital forensic problem.

How do criminals use forensic tools?

Tools and techniques exist allowing discovery of evidence that is difficult to get, including destroyed, locked, or obfuscated data. At the same time, criminals routinely make attempts to counter forensic efforts by wiping data, deleting files, faking or clearing logs, histories and other traces of performed activities.

Can forensic scientists work remotely?

Unique Nature of Digital/Multimedia Evidence In general, forensic sciences do not allow for working remotely. However, the ability to forensically duplicate1digital/multimedia evidence, in accordance with best practices, makes remote examinations possible. Because the integrity and confidentiality of the evidence are

How can anti-forensics be prevented?

The simplest way to prevent the forensic collection of data is to destroy it. Users may employ a variety of techniques to delete files or drives to prevent detection of their illicit activities.

What are some anti-forensics methods you might encounter on computer systems?

Five Anti-Forensic Techniques Used to Cover Digital FootprintsDisk Wiping. The first technique is disk wiping: deleting all of the data on a hard drive or media storage device. ... File Encryption. ... Steganography. ... Compression. ... Malware.

What are anti-forensics techniques in cyber security?

Anti-Forensics (AF) tools and techniques frustrate CFTs by erasing or altering information; creating “chaff” that wastes time and hides information; implicating innocent parties by planting fake evidence; exploiting implementation bugs in known tools; and by leaving “tracer” data that causes CFTs to inadvertently ...

Can digital forensics be done remotely?

Whether you're required to preserve data for an eDiscovery request, internal investigation, or government subpoena, remote digital forensics may be the best solution. Remote collections allow forensic analysts to preserve electronically stored information (ESI) regardless of where the custodian is located.

Which of the following is the definition of anti forensics?

Which of the following is the definition of anti-forensics? The actions that perpetrators take to conceal their locations, activities, or identities. Real evidence means physical objects that can be touched, held, or directly observed, such as a laptop with a suspect's fingerprints on it, or a handwritten note.

What are some of the challenges in the field of computer forensics?

Challenges for digital forensicsExplosion of complexity. ... Development of standards. ... Privacy-preserving investigations. ... Legitimacy. ... Rise of antiforensics techniques.

What data hiding techniques?

Data hiding involves changing or manipulating a file to conceal information. Data-hiding techniques include: Hiding Partitions • We can create a partition and then hide it using a disk editor. • We can get access to hidden partitions using tools such as: GDisk, PartitionMagic, System Commander, and LILO.

What is the advantage of a remote live analysis?

1. Data custodians (computer users) can facilitate the creation of their own forensic images. After a data custodian installs an encrypted hard drive in his/her computer, a remote live imaging tool will run with no further input needed by the custodian.

What is remote live forensics?

It is the collection, examination, and reporting of digital evidence from a connected, operating computer on a live network. Remote Forensics is not just network packet capture and analysis.

What is anti-forensics?

Nonetheless, anti-forensics generally means: attempts to compromise the availability or usefulness of evidence during the forensics process. Of relevance to anti-forensics is the most recent high profile case of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) vs. Apple.

What is the taxonomy of anti-digital forensics?

Extended taxonomy of anti-digital forensics. The taxonomy was characterized by the need to identify all aspects of anti-digital forensics that may exist on a system, as it is crucial that first responders, investigators, and researchers understand what forms of anti-forensic activity may exist on a system or network.

How many hashes are there in anti-forensics?

A Python script was written to acquire 2780 unique MD5 and SHA1 hash values of the anti-forensic tool installation-related files, and was compared against the newest 2016 Reference Data Set (RDS).8 Out of the 2780 unique hashes, 423 distinct hashes were found to be in the most current 2016 version of the RDS at the time of writing this paper. The hash data set was also compared against the hashes of NIST provided operating systems installed on virtual machines, with no further matches beyond the 423 found in the RDS. This was an important finding, as the unmatched hashes would be examples of Presence of anti-forensics tools/files/installation files under the category of Possible indications of anti-digital forensics, as represented in our newly expanded taxonomy of anti-digital forensics. This finding warrants further research in creating known hash sets related to anti-forensic tools.

Why is digital forensics important?

This attention is due to the sheer amount of data being generated by modern computer systems, which has become an essential source of digital evidence ( Geiger, 2005 ). Scientifically valid and lawful forensic investigation of this digital evidence seeks to uncover and discern its meaning where the evidence must be both reliable, accurate and complete ( Harris, 2006 ).

Why is encryption important?

It is important to differentiate between these forms of encryption to better prepare practitioners with what they may encounter on the field, or researchers for what they may encounter during their research.

Why is situational awareness important in forensics?

Investigators are now forced to develop a “situational awareness” when it comes to digital forensics, due to the sheer volume of criminal cases, increasing at an exponential rate. Being able to quickly and efficiently locate any potential of anti-digital forensic activity is now a requirement for successful investigations.

Which operating system is used in anti-digital forensics?

It should not come as a surprise that Windows, Macintosh, and Linux made up the vast majority of identified operating systems in the research, considering that they are the most prominent operating systems.

What Is RAT?

RAT is an acronym for Remote Access Trojan. It is a prime example of how attackers can use remote access technology maliciously. Given that it is a trojan, it is a malware program that seeks to facilitate a backdoor for the target computer system’s administrative access. For this malware, there are two typical modes of delivery:

How Did They Come Into Existence?

The exact origin of RATs is not known. However, they have been around for a couple of decades. Famous RATs include Back Orifice, Poison-Ivy, and SubSeven. They come in existence around the mid-1990s and attackers have continued to use them till date.

Why Are RATs Useful For Attackers?

After a RAT gets installed, it does not announce its arrival. Attackers using RATs maintain a low profile and this malware does not appear in the list of active programs or processes. It is a real possibility that a remote access trojan remains dormant for some time before it comes into action.

Protecting Your Systems From RATs: What Should You Do?

One of the most obvious suggestion here is to avoid downloading attachments from unknown senders. Downloading free games, software, movies, and other files from untrustworthy or strange sites must be avoided. At the same time, you should never delay installing updates for your operating system, browser (s), and applications on your system.

Endnotes

For an individual user to keep track of activities on their personal system is a reasonably easy responsibility. However, in the case of organizational setup where security teams are responsible for tens or hundreds of computers, it becomes intensive and tricky.

What is antiforensics?

Antiforensics is more than technology. It is an approach to criminal hacking that can be summed up like this: Make it hard for them to find you and impossible for them to prove they found you.

Why did Vincent Liu stop using forensic tools?

Vincent Liu, partner at Stach & Liu, has developed antiforensic tools. But he stopped because “the evidence exists that we can’t rely on forensic tools anymore. It was no longer necessary to drive the point home. There was no point rubbing salt in the wound,” he says.

What is MosDef memory?

In memory, stuff moves around; you can’t track it down.”. MosDef is one example of diskless antiforensics. It executes code in memory. Many rootkits now load into memory; some use the large stockpiles of memory found on graphics cards. Linux servers have become a favorite home for memory-.

What is diskless A-F?

If you want to go full-out cloak-and-dagger in your movie, you’d show off antiforensic tools that have gone solid-state. Diskless A-F is the state of the art; it avoids logging of activity all together. “There’s nothing on the disk that can’t be messed with,” says Liu. “So the arms race has left the disk and is moving into memory. Memory is volatile storage. It’s a lot more difficult to understand what’s going on in there. Disk layout is documented; you know where to look for stuff. In memory, stuff moves around; you can’t track it down.”

What would the bad guys do if they were making a movie about computer crime?

If you were making a movie about a computer crime, the bad guys would use antiforensics. And since it’s a movie, it should be exciting, so they’d use the clever and illicit antiforensic tools, the sexy ones with little or no legitimate business purpose.

Is forensics unrewarding?

So while requisite, forensics is ultimately unrewarding. A clear illustration of this fact comes from the field investigations manager for a major credit services company. Sometime last year, he noticed a clutch of fraudulent purchases on cards that all traced back to the same aquarium.

Is antiforensics new?

The concept of antiforensics is neither new nor foolproof, but in the past 12 months, forensic investigators have noticed a significant uptick in the use of antiforensics. This is not because hackers are making more sophisticated antiforensic tools, though some are.

Why do criminals use anti-forensic methods?

However, criminals may use anti-forensic methods to work against the process or interfere with the evidence itself. Solving anti-forensic issues will require that we understand the actual problem itself.

What is the act of removing evidence from view?

3.2. Hiding evidence. Hiding evidence is the act of removing evidence from view so that it is less likely to be incorporated into the forensic process.

What is the meaning of "counterfeiting evidence"?

with intent to deceive” ( Merriam-Webster's, 2003 ). Consequently, evidence counterfeiting is the act of creating a “faked” version of the evidence which is designed to appear to be something else.

What is compromised evidence availability?

Compromising evidence availability includes any attempts to prevent evidence from existing, hiding existing evidence or otherwise manipulating evidence to ensure that it is no longer within reach of the investigator. Usefulness maybe compromised by obliterating the evidence itself or by destroying its integrity. 3.

Why can evidence be destroyed?

Evidence can be destroyed to prevent it from being found or to reduce its usefulness if it is found. Evidence can be hidden from casual view to reduce its availability to the investigator. Possible sources of evidence can be eliminated to ensure that evidence never gets created in the first place.

How does source elimination work?

Evidence source elimination involves neutralizing evidentiary sources. There is no need to destroy evidence since it is never created. In the physical world, source elimination could be as simple as wearing rubber gloves to commit a crime. However, the actual process of source elimination could itself create evidence, as evidence destruction can. The rubber gloves used to hold the gun might become evidence, for example. Additionally, the very lack of evidence might become evidence. This sounds counterintuitive until we consider a gun completely devoid of fingerprints. A good investigator may think that the criminal wore gloves, so he might assume that the murder was carefully planned. These observations apply to the digital world as well.

What is evidence manipulation?

Guidelines. 1. Introduction. Locard's principle states that when a crime is committed, there is a cross-transfer of evidence between the scene and the perpetrator ( Saferstein, 1998 ). Forensic investigation endeavors to use science to uncover the transferred evidence and discern its meaning.

What is network forensics?

One of the interesting parts of the network is a router that manages all connection for all logical network activity. On network forensics, we need traffic log to analyze the activity of any computer connected to the network in purpose to know what hackers do. In another hand, not all information can get from traffic log if the network didn't save the network sniffing. Thus this case need find other resources like router information. To access information on the router like RouterOS on Mikrotik devices, can maintain some data using API to remote access the router remotely. The purpose of this paper is to explore how to do a forensics of RouterOS based Mikrotik devices and developing a remote application to extract router data using API services. As a result, acquisition process could obtain some valuable data from the router as digital evidence to explore information of network's attacks activity.

What is the aim of digital forensics?

Digital forensic investigators’ aim is identifying, collecting and presenting reliable, accurate, and admissible evidence in court. However, anti-forensics manipulate, obfuscate, hide, and remove the remaining piece of evidence in a compromised system. Anti-forensics interrupt investigation procedures; thus, the investigators require specific defensive strategies (counter-anti-forensics) against anti-forensics. This paper mounts a survey to explore existing anti-forensic research, and constitute a taxonomy on behaviour of anti-forensics and another taxonomy on further research tasks of anti-forensics. The knowledge of interactions between forensic agents' (an investigator and an attacker) in a forensic environment helps the investigator to evaluate the existing counter-anti-forensics, and enables him/her to design and develop more advanced counter-anti-forensics. Therefore, in this paper, first, we formulate a set of characteristics to model interactions between the attacker and the investigator (players) in a realistic forensic environment. Next, we propose a game-theoretic approach to model the players' interactions. The attacker uses anti-forensics (i.e. rootkits) and the investigator employs counter-anti-forensics (i.e. anti-rootkits). We select and evaluate a set of game-theoretic models and algorithms to simulate the players' interactions. Results of the evaluation show that a gradient play algorithm has satisfactory performance, among the selected game-theoretic models and algorithms to simulate the interactions in the forensic environment. The gradient play algorithm identifies the investigator's most stable and desired strategies after spending 10.0E-4 s and consuming 5.8 KB.

What is RAMDisk used for?

But integrity of digital evidences comes under scrutiny due to anti-forensics tools and techniques that are exercised by cybercriminals to evade detection. RAMDisk is one of such technique used by cybercriminals to avoid detection and perform clean up after the crime that has been committed. Cybercriminals use this technique to store sensitive information and data in RAMDisk and discard it once the purpose has been served. This paper discusses the working of three popular RAMDisk softwares namely AMD Radeon RAMDisk, ImDisk Toolkit. and Miray RAM Drive. We have also identified proprietary drivers and unique signatures for each software and what approach can be adopted by a forensics investigator to investigate them.

What browsers did Rebecca Nelson use?

... In [21], Rebecca Nelson used Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, their respective private modes, and TOR browser for study. The outcome of this study shows a lot of information is collected as evidence from Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. ...

Why are browsers important for cyber crime?

Browsers are essential to an active working environment but they also serve as the perfect cyber-attack vector. Cyber-attacks and crimes are multi-faceted in present era and having tendency to outgrow manifold. Digital forensic is a remarkable discipline to limit and investigate such threats by using its sophisticated tools. Web browser is the widely used application to access contents available on the internet and is user’s face to the world. Typical browsing activities involve visiting web pages, accessing email accounts, using social media, uploading and downloading different files. User leaves digital footprints on computing device in the form of various artifacts while using browsers such as cookies, history, bookmarks, passwords, etc. These artifacts can be extracted through a specialized browser forensic toolkit to augment investigator’s task. Researchers, in their previous work, have precisely focused towards specific mode of web-browsers’ forensics and proposed viable investigative tools. In this study, accrued picture of all web-browsing modes (public, private and portable) has been crafted including potent forensic attributes for digital artifact’s collection and comparative analysis of tools.

What is TikTok application?

Tiktok application is an application that is being used a lot, so it causes many criminal acts such as defamation, cybercrime, and cyberbullying. This study uses a forensic method as a standard in the research phase to reveal evidence of pollution crimes that occur in the TikTok web browser application. The method used in this research is the National Institute of Standard Technology (NIST). This method has 4 stages used for reference in the analysis of evidence, namelyanalysis collection, examination,and reporting. This research uses a laptop which is used as experimental material in the scenario. This case uses a Chrome web browser in public mode where a laptop is logged into Tiktok with the Chrome browser used to post videos. This research uses tools, forensicnamely FTK Imager, Browser History Capture / Viewer, Video Cache Viewer. The results obtained from this study are data or evidence from a post that has been deleted in the TikTok web browser application. The results obtained from the process of this research stage are in the form of text, username, photos / videos, and links from posts that the suspect has deleted. Based on the toolsused in this study, 80% managed to get butki goods and 20% failed, namely video. The evidence found can then be used to report and assist in the trial process.

What Is Anti-Forensics?

Moving Or Renaming Files

• Moving or renaming files that may hold evidence against suspects is a form of simple, almost naive anti-forensics. By moving certain files (such as those used by instant messengers for keeping conversation histories), renaming or changing extensions (e.g. renaming an encrypted ZIP archive containing illegal images into something like c:\Windows\Sys...

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Deleting Evidence Or Using Privacy Protection and Disk Cleaning Tools