Computer Forensics
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Computer Forensics In This Issue Computer Forensics: Digital Forensic Analysis Methodology............ 1 January By Ovie L. Carroll, Stephen K. Brannon, and Thomas Song 2008 Vista and BitLocker and Forensics! Oh My!.......................... 9 Volume 56 By Ovie L. Carroll, Stephen K. Brannon, and Thomas Song Number 1 Demystifying the Computer Forensic Process for Trial: (Is My Witness Dr. United States Department of Justice Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?)............................................ 2 9 Executive Office for United States Attorneys By Martin J. Littlefield Washington, DC 20530 Managing Large Amounts of Electronic Evidence.................... 4 6 Kenneth E. Melson By Ovie L. Carroll, Stephen K. Brannon, and Thomas Song Director Contributors' opinions and Rethinking the Storage of Computer Evidence....................... 6 0 statements should not be considered an endorsement by By Tyler Newby and Ovie L. Carroll EOUSA for any policy, program, or service. The United States Attorneys' Bulletin is published pursuant to 28 CFR § 0.22(b). The United States Attorneys' Bulletin is published bimonthly by the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Office of Legal Education, 1620 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. Managing Editor Jim Donovan Program Manager Nancy Bowman Internet Address www.usdoj.gov/usao/ reading_room/foiamanuals. html Send article submissions and address changes to Program Manager, United States Attorneys' Bulletin, National Advocacy Center, Office of Legal Education, 1620 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Computer Forensics: Digital Forensic Analysis Methodology Ovie L. Carroll and discussion. It also helps clarify the elements Director, Cybercrime Lab of the process. Many other resources are available Computer Crime and Intellectual on the section's public Web site, Property Section www.cybercrime.gov. In addition, anyone in the Criminal Division Criminal Division or U.S Attorneys' offices can find additional resources on the new intranet site, CCIPS Online. Go to DOJ Net and click on the Stephen K. Brannon "CCIPS Online" link. You can also reach us at Cybercrime Analyst, Cybercrime Lab (202) 514-1026. Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section II. Overview of the digital forensics Criminal Division analysis methodology Thomas Song The complete definition of computer forensics Senior Cybercrime Analyst, Cybercrime Lab is as follows: "The use of scientifically derived Computer Crime and Intellectual and proven methods toward the preservation, collection, validation, identification, analysis, Property Section interpretation, documentation and presentation of Criminal Division digital evidence derived from digital sources for the purpose of facilitating or furthering the I. Introduction reconstruction of events found to be criminal…." In comparison to other forensic sciences, the A Road Map for Digital Forensic Research, field of computer forensics is relatively young. Report from the First Digital Forensic Research Unfortunately, many people do not understand Workshop (DFRWS), available at http://dfrws. what the term computer forensics means and what org/2001/dfrws-rm-final.pdf. techniques are involved. In particular, there is a Defining computer forensics requires one lack of clarity regarding the distinction between more clarification. Many argue about whether data extraction and data analysis. There is also computer forensics is a science or art. confusion about how these two operations fit into United States v. Brooks, 427 F.3d 1246, 1252 the forensic process. The Cybercrime Lab in the (10th Cir. 2005) ("Given the numerous ways Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section information is stored on a computer, openly and (CCIPS) has developed a flowchart describing the surreptitiously, a search can be as much an art as a digital forensic analysis methodology. Throughout science."). The argument is unnecessary, however. this article, the flowchart is used as an aid in the The tools and methods are scientific and are explanation of the methodology and its steps. verified scientifically, but their use necessarily The Cybercrime Lab developed this flowchart involves elements of ability, judgment, and after consulting with numerous computer forensic interpretation. Hence, the word "technique" is examiners from several federal agencies. It is often used to sidestep the unproductive science/art available on the public Web site at www. dispute. cybercrime.gov/forensics_gov/forensicschart.pdf. The flowchart is helpful as a guide to instruction JANUARY 2008 UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS' BULLETIN 1 The key elements of computer forensics are listed documents. The lists may be written or items below: committed to memory. Finally, keep in mind that examiners often repeat this entire process, since a • The use of scientific methods finding or conclusion may indicate a new lead to • Collection and preservation be studied. • Validation III. Preparation/Extraction • Identification See Figure 2, page 5. • Analysis and interpretation Examiners begin by asking whether there is • Documentation and presentation enough information to proceed. They make sure a The Cybercrime Lab illustrates an overview clear request is in hand and that there is sufficient of the process with Figure 1. The three steps, data to attempt to answer it. If anything is Preparation/Extraction, Identification, and missing, they coordinate with the requester. Analysis, are highlighted because they are the Otherwise, they continue to set up the process. focus of this article. See Figure 1, page 5. The first step in any forensic process is the In practice, organizations may divide these validation of all hardware and software, to ensure functions between different groups. While this is that they work properly. There is still a debate in acceptable and sometimes necessary, it can create the forensics community about how frequently the a source of misunderstanding and frustration. In software and equipment should be tested. Most order for different law enforcement agencies to people agree that, at a minimum, organizations effectively work together, they must communicate should validate every piece of software and clearly. The investigative team must keep the hardware after they purchase it and before they entire picture in mind and be explicit when use it. They should also retest after any update, referring to specific sections. patch, or reconfiguration. The prosecutor and forensic examiner must When the examiner's forensic platform is decide, and communicate to each other, how ready, he or she duplicates the forensic data much of the process is to be completed at each provided in the request and verifies its integrity. stage of an investigation or prosecution. The This process assumes law enforcement has process is potentially iterative, so they also must already obtained the data through appropriate decide how many times to repeat the process. It is legal process and created a forensic image. A fundamentally important that everyone understand forensic image is a bit-for-bit copy of the data that whether a case only needs preparation, extraction, exists on the original media, without any additions and identification, or whether it also requires or deletions. It also assumes the forensic examiner analysis. has received a working copy of the seized data. If examiners get original evidence, they need to The three steps in the forensics process make a working copy and guard the original's discussed in this article come after examiners chain of custody. The examiners make sure the obtain forensic data and a request, but before copy in their possession is intact and unaltered. reporting and case-level analysis is undertaken. They typically do this by verifying a hash, or Examiners try to be explicit about every process digital fingerprint, of the evidence. If there are any that occurs in the methodology. In certain problems, the examiners consult with the situations, however, examiners may combine steps requester about how to proceed. or condense parts of the process. When examiners speak of lists such as "Relevant Data List," they After examiners verify the integrity of the do not mean to imply that the lists are physical data to be analyzed, a plan is developed to extract data. They organize and refine the forensic request 2UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS' BULLETIN JANUARY 2008 into questions they understand and can answer. might include social security numbers, images of The forensic tools that enable them to answer false identification, or e-mails discussing identity these questions are selected. Examiners generally theft, among other things. It is also possible for an have preliminary ideas of what to look for, based item to generate yet another search lead. An e- on the request. They add these to a "Search Lead mail may reveal that a target was using another List," which is a running list of requested items. nickname. That would lead to a new keyword For example, the request might provide the lead search for the new nickname. The examiners "search for child pornography." Examiners list would go back and add that lead to the Search leads explicitly to help focus the examination. As Lead List so that they would remember to they develop new leads, they add them to the list, investigate it completely. and as they exhaust leads, they mark them An item can also point to a completely new "processed" or "done." potential source of data. For example, examiners For each search lead, examiners extract might find a new e-mail account the target was