All About Anti-Forensics

After the positive methods and solution of digital forensics to curb cyber-attacks, came the idea of anti-forensics to make it difficult for cyber forensic investigators. The anti-forensic has made the life of an investigator more difficult. A cybercriminals can perform a wide array of nefarious activities ranging from committing criminal activity in an organization to stealing crucial data from the government. The cybercriminals conceal user’s identity and  can steal user data, often can make user’s data encrypted asking for ransom, sometimes deleting user’s browser history, cache memory, and even cookies. The main goal of the cybercriminals is to make it impossible for the cyber forensic tools to uncover their presence. In this post let us see how forensic investigators break into anti-forensic measures and track the digital footprint of the criminal.

What is anti-forensics?

Anti-forensic is a method used by cybercriminals to challenge the process of evidence collection and forensic analysis. The cyber attackers use various methods to cover their digital footprint which are as follows:

Encryption

By using the encryption method, the criminals convert their data into an unreadable format using various encryption keys. The primary goal of encryption is to prevent unauthorized access to confidential data. The encrypted data can be deciphered only using a paired-up key. Encryption is one of the traditional methods to protect data. Modern cryptography includes Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), Triple Data Encryption Standard and more.

Steganography

Steganography is a method of concealing or hiding data in plain sight. The data in this scenario is mostly exchanged through an image. The processed file often seems ordinary and can go unnoticed. In the modern-day, the data can be concealed within microdots or invisible ink. In a method called linguistic steganography, the data or the message is concealed in the natural context. This method allows concealing huge data. The investigator can identify steganography through repetitive patterns.

Tunneling

The tunneling allows the exchange of private communication through the public network by encapsulation. The data capsules will flow from a public network and thus doesn’t create any suspicion. A common method in tunneling is the use of a virtual private network. Through network monitoring, such attacks can be prevented.

Onion routing 

Onion routing is a method of sending data by encrypting it in various layers. The layers of encryption denote onion thus the name, onion routing. The encapsulated data travels through several network nodes in which each encryption layer gets peeled. The onion routing process can easily be fought by the reverse routing method.

Obfuscation

A method of concealing data by entering it in an ambiguous language. The obfuscation method makes use of jargon and ingroup phrases to conceal data. Deobfuscation can also be reversed by removing the layer as in onion routing.

Encase OpenText

EnCase Forensic’s comprehensive digital forensic software capabilities help deep analysis and speedy triage to help the investigators whether independent, federal, or a law enforcement agency to decide if the investigation is warranted. EnCase Information Assurance provides the Legal and IT teams the required software to discover data that is forensically important. The Encase has various benefits such as

• Early Predictability
• Robust Automation
• Unparalleled Collections

The workflow of Encase is as follows:

• Legal hold
• Pre-Collection Analytics
• Collection and preservation
• Analytics process
• Review

Bottom line

The encase OpenText from Pelorus is the ideal tool for government security agencies and businesses to reveal the trails of a cyber-criminal. To enhance your system’s security give a call to Pelorus and book a demo for the encase OpenText.