Book Image

Practical Digital Forensics

By : Richard Boddington
Book Image

Practical Digital Forensics

By: Richard Boddington

Overview of this book

Digital Forensics is a methodology which includes using various tools, techniques, and programming language. This book will get you started with digital forensics and then follow on to preparing investigation plan and preparing toolkit for investigation. In this book you will explore new and promising forensic processes and tools based on ‘disruptive technology’ that offer experienced and budding practitioners the means to regain control of their caseloads. During the course of the book, you will get to know about the technical side of digital forensics and various tools that are needed to perform digital forensics. This book will begin with giving a quick insight into the nature of digital evidence, where it is located and how it can be recovered and forensically examined to assist investigators. This book will take you through a series of chapters that look at the nature and circumstances of digital forensic examinations and explains the processes of evidence recovery and preservation from a range of digital devices, including mobile phones, and other media. This book has a range of case studies and simulations will allow you to apply the knowledge of the theory gained to real-life situations. By the end of this book you will have gained a sound insight into digital forensics and its key components.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Practical Digital Forensics
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgment
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

The Windows Registry and system files and logs as resources of digital evidence


Windows-based systems have a central repository of settings called the Windows Registry. The registry is often a valuable source of information that can be used to clarify and corroborate other information of relevance to an investigation recovered from the filesystem. The Windows Registry is a vital part of the Windows operating system and maintains the configuration of the system and supported application programs as well as the users accessing the system and attached devices and networks.

The registry consists of a directory structure containing folders or "hives" that contain files or keys that contain values and, sometimes, sub-keys. Each key contains specific values that are used by the operating system or an application that relies on the value, for instance, the time zone used by the computer, the status of remote access settings, or details of a storage device attached.

The Registry Explorer allows the...