Abstract

Abstract: The computer is proving to be a lethalweapon, capable of causing huge loss if used with wrong intentions. In order toinvestigate cyber-crime, digital forensics techniques are used for collection,extraction, examination and analysis of data from different storage devicessuch as hard disks, USB thumb drives, CDs, DVDs etc. Anti-forensics, on theother hand is the use of different techniques of hiding data and metadata ordestroying the evidence to deceive digital forensic tools and investigators. Inthis research work, we have performed different anti-forensic activitiesrelated to USB devices in Windows. One set of anti-forensic activities havebeen performed to hide data inside an USB thumb drive, while the other set ofanti-forensic techniques have been applied for hiding the traces of usage ofUSB thumb drive in the computer system. Experiments have been performed usingdifferent digital forensic tools and techniques in an attempt to detect whetheror not it is possible to track the anti-forensic activities. This type ofresearch work would be beneficial for the forensic fraternity in examinationand investigation of cyber-crime cases involving the use of anti-forensics.

Keywords: Anti-Forensics,Data Hiding, Autopsy, Trail Obfuscation, File Encryption, Signature Mismatch