Digital forensics techniques and trends: a review

Abstract

The research work presented in this paper aims to review Digital Forensics (DF) techniques and trends. As computer technology advances day by day, the chances of data being misused and tampered with are also growing daily. The advancement in technology results in various cyber-attacks on computers and mobile devices. DF plays a vital role in the investigation and prevention of cyber-attacks. DF can be used to find the shreds of evidence and prevent attacks from happening in the future. Earlier presented reviews highlighted specific issues in DF only. This paper explores deeply DF issues by highlighting domain-specific issues and possible helpful areas for DF. This article highlights the investigation process framework and related approaches for the digital investigation process. The cognitive and human factors that affect the DF process are also presented to strengthen the investigation process. Nowadays, many DF tools are available in the industry that helps in DF investigation. A comparative analysis of the four DF tools is also presented. Finally DF performance is discussed. The submitted work may help the researchers go deeper into DF and apply the best tools and models according to their requirements