Whos Been Framed

Who's Been Framed?

How effective are traditional digital forensic techniques at obtaining forensically sound data in scenarios, where computer misuse has been used in attempts to frame the innocent? By Frazer Lewis.

The usage of personal computers and connected technology within the home continues to increase. In criminal proceedings, digital forensics is becoming a dominant weapon in the battle for justice – personal computers often reveal seemingly indisputable critical information that often plays a key role in determining the guilt or innocence of an individual.

The acquisition and analysis of digital evidence has evolved and matured a great deal in recent years. Many of the popular forensic software packages which law enforcement/independent consultants depend on day-to-day appear to be designed with an emphasis on clear and pretty GUIs, sacrificing the requirement for a user to maintain knowledge of the underlying operation and theory of the application’s forensic techniques in preference of a “sales friendly”, never-before seen ease of use and speed of investigation. 

In a world where time is money, are the cost-effective and straightforward frameworks currently in place for forensic analysis adequate when investigating scenarios whereby offensive techniques have been used to suggest an innocent individual has broken the law?

Many powerful and dangerous hacking techniques are now public domain. In an identical manner to the development of digital forensics, the theory and workings of even the most intricate technical attacks are concealed behind the “point and shoot” design of the ever-more acquirable “hacking tools”, again eliminating any prerequisite knowledge for a malicious user. In other words, it has never been easier for the everyday man or woman to “hack” with devastating consequence.

How can the successful compromise of a machine provide a platform to frame an individual? Find out in issue 4.

The full article appears in Issue 4 of Digital Forensics Magazine, published 1st August 2010. You must log in with a valid subscription to read on...