Q).

What are the typical services offered by computer forensics

professionals? (explain any two). [9M]
Ans:- 1. Data Recovery
Computer forensics professionals specialize in recovering deleted, lost, or
corrupted data from various digital storage devices such as hard drives,
SSDs, USB drives, and mobile devices. This service is often utilized in
cases of accidental deletions, hardware failures, or malicious actions such
as ransomware attacks.
• Example: In a cybercrime case, a forensic expert retrieves deleted
emails and chat logs to provide evidence of fraudulent activities.
• Relevance: This service helps organizations and law enforcement
retrieve critical information that can be used for legal purposes or
business continuity.
2. Incident Response and Investigation
This involves responding to cyber incidents such as data breaches,
unauthorized access, or malware attacks and conducting investigations to
identify the cause, extent, and parties involved.
• Example: After a company's network is hacked, forensic experts
analyze the logs, compromised systems, and malicious files to trace
the origin of the attack and secure the environment.
• Relevance: This helps organizations mitigate the impact of attacks,
prevent future incidents, and ensure compliance with legal and
regulatory requirements.
3. Fraud Investigation: Detecting and analyzing fraudulent activities, such
as embezzlement or insider threats.
4. Malware Analysis: Examining malicious software to understand its
functionality and trace its source.
5. Cyberbullying or Harassment Cases: Investigating online threats,
harassment, or stalking incidents.
6. Network Forensics: Monitoring and analyzing network traffic to
identify security breaches or unauthorized access.
7. Email and Communication Analysis: Analyzing emails, chat logs, or
other forms of communication for evidence of wrongdoing.
Q). What specific technologies are utilized in the field of business computer
forensics? (Describe any two) [9M]
Ans:- Business computer forensics involves advanced tools to investigate
cyber incidents and secure data.
1. Forensic Imaging Tools
These tools create exact digital copies of storage devices like hard drives or
USBs without changing the original data. This ensures that evidence is
preserved for investigation.
• Purpose: To safely analyze data without affecting the original.
• Examples:
o FTK Imager: Creates disk images and recovers deleted data.
o EnCase: Captures data and provides detailed analysis.
Use Case: Recovering deleted emails or financial records in fraud cases.

2. Data Analysis Tools

These tools analyze large volumes of data to identify important evidence
like user activities, network logs, or suspicious files.
 • Purpose: To simplify and speed up investigations by finding patterns
in data.
• Examples:
o Autopsy: Recovers deleted files and tracks user activity.
o Sleuth Kit: Examines file systems and recovers data.
Use Case: Detecting insider threats by analyzing system logs and emails.
3. Data Recovery Tools:
• R-Studio: For recovering lost or deleted files.
• Recuva: Lightweight tool for basic data recovery.
4. Password Cracking Tools:
• John the Ripper: Used to crack passwords for investigative purposes.
• Hashcat: A high-performance password recovery tool.
5. Mobile Forensics Tools:
• Cellebrite: Extracts and analyzes data from mobile devices.
• MOBILedit Forensic: Supports investigation of mobile data like SMS
and call logs.
Why these tools

▪ Help businesses to investigate cybercrimes

▪ Secures data
▪ Present the valid evidences in court
▪ Protects sensitive information
Q). How does computer forensics technology vary cross different sectors
like miltary law enforcement & business? [9M]
Ans:- Variations in Computer Forensics Technology Across Sectors
Computer forensics technology is adapted to meet the specific needs of
different sectors, such as military, law enforcement, and business, due to
their unique goals, challenges, and data-handling requirements.

1. Military Sector
• Focus: Protecting national security and gathering intelligence.
• Tools:
o Encryption Tools: To decode enemy messages.
o Steganography Detection: To find hidden data in images or
files.
• Example: Tracing the source of a cyberattack targeting defense
systems.

2. Law Enforcement Sector

• Focus: Solving crimes and collecting evidence for court cases.
• Tools:
o Data Recovery Tools: To find deleted files or messages.
o Forensic Imaging: To create exact copies of devices for
investigation.
 •
Example: Recovering deleted files to prove involvement in a
cybercrime.

3. Business Sector
• Focus: Protecting sensitive company data and investigating insider
threats.
• Tools:
o Network Monitoring: To track unauthorized access.
o Log Analysis: To find suspicious activity in system logs.
• Example: Investigating a data breach to prevent future losses.

Key Differences
• Military focuses on national defense.
• Law enforcement gathers evidence for criminal cases.
• Business protects its assets and prevents data theft.

Q). What are the key components of a data recovery solutions in computer
forensics? Explain in detail [9M]
Ans:- Data recovery in computer forensics focuses on retrieving lost,
deleted, or damaged data while maintaining its integrity for investigations.
The key components include:

1. Data Acquisition Tools

 •
These tools are used to extract data from storage devices (hard drives,
SSDs, USBs, etc.) without altering the original content.
Purpose: Ensure data is collected safely and accurately.
• Examples: FTK Imager, EnCase.
• How It Works: These tools create a forensic image of the storage
device, capturing all the data, including deleted or hidden files.

2. File Carving Techniques

File carving is used to recover files based on their structure and content,
even if file system metadata is missing or corrupted.
• Purpose: Retrieve files that cannot be accessed normally.
• Examples: Tools like Scalpel and PhotoRec.
• How It Works: Scans raw data to identify file headers and footers to
reconstruct files.

3. Data Repair Tools

These tools fix corrupted files or damaged storage devices to make data
readable again.
• Purpose: Recover data from physically damaged or corrupted
media.
• Examples: Disk Drill, R-Studio.
• How It Works: Analyzes damaged sectors and reconstructs readable
data.

4. Metadata Recovery
 •
Metadata includes information about files, like creation date, size, and
modification history, which is essential for investigations.
• Purpose: Recover metadata for tracking file usage.
Examples: Tools like Sleuth Kit or X-Ways Forensics.
• How It Works: Extracts metadata from file systems to analyze user
activity.

5. Validation and Reporting

Once the data is recovered, it must be validated to ensure integrity and
documented properly for legal or investigative purposes.
• Purpose: Ensure the recovered data is complete, unaltered, and
admissible in court.
• Examples: Hashing tools like MD5 or SHA-256 for validation.
• How It Works: Compares hash values of the recovered data with the
original to confirm its accuracy.

Importance in Forensics
Data recovery solutions are critical for retrieving evidence, solving crimes,
and ensuring justice. They help maintain the chain of custody and ensure
the data remains admissible in legal investigations.

Q). Explain in brief computer forensic services. Write the applications of

digital forensics in military. [8M]
Ans:- Computer Forensic Services
 •
Computer forensic services help investigate cybercrimes by collecting,
analyzing, and preserving digital evidence.
Key services include:

1. Data Recovery: Recovering deleted, corrupted, or hidden files from

devices.
 2. Incident Investigation: Identifying causes of cyberattacks, hacking, or
data breaches.

3. Evidence Preservation: Ensuring digital evidence is protected and

admissible in court.

4. Network Analysis: Tracking unauthorized access and malicious activities

on networks.

5. Malware Analysis: Identifying and understanding viruses or other

harmful programs.

Applications of Digital Forensics in Military

1. Cyber Threat Analysis: Detecting and preventing cyberattacks on

defense systems.

2. Intelligence Gathering: Analyzing enemy communications or hidden

data.

3. Data Breach Investigations: Identifying insider threats and securing

classified information.

4. Tracking Espionage Activities: Identifying and tracing malicious actors

attempting to steal sensitive data.
Digital forensics plays a critical role in securing national defense and
protecting military systems

Q). What is the significance of data recovery and backup? Explain various data
recovery solutions. [9M]
Ans:- Data recovery and backup are necessary for protecting information
and ensuring business continuity. Using the right tools helps prevent data
loss and recover it when needed, minimizing downtime and preserving
critical data.
Significance of Data Recovery and Backup
Data recovery and backup are crucial for ensuring that important information
is protected from loss or damage.
• Data Recovery: Helps retrieve lost or damaged data, ensuring
continuity and minimizing the impact of data loss.
• Backup: Creates copies of data, so in case of hardware failure,
accidental deletion, or cyberattacks, the data can be restored.
Why They Matter:

1. Prevents Loss: Keeps critical information safe, ensuring business

operations and personal data are not permanently lost.

2. Minimizes Downtime: Enables quick recovery after system failures,

reducing downtime.

3. Protection from Cyberattacks: Helps recover data after attacks like

ransomware, ensuring that sensitive data is not lost.

Various Data Recovery Solutions

1. Forensic Imaging: Creating exact copies of storage devices to preserve
data for investigation.
o Example: FTK Imager and EnCase.
o How it works: Copies data from hard drives without altering the
original, ensuring integrity for legal use.

2. File Carving: Recovering files even if they are deleted or corrupted,

based on their content.
 o Example: Scalpel, PhotoRec.
o How it works: Searches the raw data to find file headers and
reconstruct files.
3. Data Recovery Software: Tools that help recover deleted or lost files
from damaged storage.
o Example: Recuva, Disk Drill.
o How it works: Scans the storage device to find and restore
deleted files.
4. Cloud Backup Solutions: Storing data in cloud services like Google
Drive, Dropbox, etc., so it can be restored after data loss.
o Example: Backing up data to services like Google Drive, OneDrive.
o How it works: Provides offsite backup of important files for easy
recovery.

5. Disk Repair Tools: Tools to fix physical or logical damage to disks,

restoring access to data.
o Example: R-Studio, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
o How it works: Repairs damaged files or sectors on hard drives.

Q). What are the various business oriented digital forensic techniques?
[8M]
Ans:- Business-Oriented Digital Forensic Techniques
Digital forensics in businesses focuses on protecting data, detecting insider
threats, and investigating cyber incidents. Some commonly used
techniques include:
1. Email Forensics
• Purpose: Analyze emails to detect phishing, fraud, or data leaks.
• How it Works: Recovers deleted emails, checks sender details, and
traces malicious attachments.

2. Network Forensics
• Purpose: Monitor and analyze network traffic to detect unauthorized
access or data breaches.
• How it Works: Tracks suspicious activity by analyzing logs and
identifying anomalies in data flow.

3. Disk Forensics
• Purpose: Recover and analyze data from storage devices like hard
drives or SSDs.
• How it Works: Retrieves deleted files, hidden data, and evidence of
tampering.

4. Mobile Device Forensics

• Purpose: Investigate mobile phones and tablets to gather evidence.
• How it Works: Extracts call logs, SMS, app data, and location
information.

5. Cloud Forensics
• Purpose: Investigate incidents involving cloud storage services like
Google Drive or Dropbox.
 • How it Works: Retrieves deleted files, tracks user access logs, and
identifies unauthorized changes.

6. Malware Analysis
• Purpose: Identify and understand malicious programs affecting
business systems.
• How it Works: Examines the malware’s behavior to trace its origin and
impact.
Q). How does computer forensics help in law enforcement? [9M]
Ans:- How Computer Forensics Helps in Law Enforcement
Computer forensics is essential in solving cybercrimes and providing digital
evidence for legal cases. Here’s how it helps:

1. Collecting Digital Evidence

• Forensics experts recover data from computers, phones, and networks.
• This includes deleted files, emails, and browsing history.

2. Tracking Cybercrimes
• Helps trace the origin of hacking, fraud, or identity theft.
• Tracks IP addresses, online activities, and communication logs.

3. Supporting Legal Cases

• Digital evidence is presented in court to prove crimes.
• Ensures evidence is preserved without alteration for legal use.
4. Investigating Data Breaches
• Identifies how sensitive data was stolen or accessed.
• Helps law enforcement catch and prosecute offenders.

5. Preventing Future Crimes

• Provides insights into methods used by criminals.
• Helps improve cybersecurity policies and tools.

Example
Recovering deleted files from a suspect’s computer can prove involvement in
a fraud case.

SUMMARY TABLE