Book Image

Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide

By : Muhiballah Mohammed
5 (1)
Book Image

Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide

5 (1)
By: Muhiballah Mohammed

Overview of this book

In this digitally driven era, safeguarding against relentless cyber threats is non-negotiable. This guide will enable you to enhance your skills as a digital forensic examiner by introducing you to cyber challenges that besiege modern entities. It will help you to understand the indispensable role adept digital forensic experts play in preventing these threats and equip you with proactive tools to defend against ever-evolving cyber onslaughts. The book begins by unveiling the intricacies of Windows operating systems and their foundational forensic artifacts, helping you master the art of streamlined investigative processes. From harnessing opensource tools for artifact collection to delving into advanced analysis, you’ll develop the skills needed to excel as a seasoned forensic examiner. As you advance, you’ll be able to effortlessly amass and dissect evidence to pinpoint the crux of issues. You’ll also delve into memory forensics tailored for Windows OS, decipher patterns within user data, and log and untangle intricate artifacts such as emails and browser data. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to robustly counter computer intrusions and breaches, untangle digital complexities with unwavering assurance, and stride confidently in the realm of digital forensics.
Table of Contents (14 chapters)
1
Part 1:Windows OS Forensics and Lab Preparation
7
Part 2:Windows OS Additional Artifacts

Windows Registry hives

The Windows Registry is an essential component of the Microsoft Windows operating system. It stores configuration information for the operating system, hardware devices, and installed applications. The registry is organized into subtrees, which are similar to directories in a filesystem. These subtrees contain keys and values, which hold the configuration data.

The registry is divided into five subtrees: HKCR, HKCU, HKLM, HKU, and HKCC. Each subtree contains keys and values that hold configuration data related to different aspects of the operating system, software, and hardware, as follows:

  • HKCR contains information about registered file types, Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) controls, and Component Object Model (COM) objects. This subtree is used by Windows to determine how to open files based on their file type.
  • HKCU contains configuration data for the current user. This subtree stores user-specific settings such as desktop settings, application...