Internet Forensics

Getting in Over Your Head

The forensic techniques that I have described can be applied to any email message or web site. My focus has been on Internet fraud and spam but there are many other targets in which you might be interested. You might be curious about how a legitimate web site is set up or you might want to ensure that your own site is not inadvertently disclosing confidential information. It is my hope that readers will find new ways in which to use the techniques, and by doing so, advance the field of study. But I want to caution you in regard to two specific areas—child pornography web sites and those of extremist political or paramilitary groups.

Child Pornography Sites

The Internet has made child pornography more available than ever before. It represents a terrible exploitation of the children that are involved in the production of the material, and it puts countless more at a greatly increased risk of sexual assault. Anyone that has witnessed the effect of child sexual abuse on their family or friends will know the all-consuming desire to do something to stop it ever happening to anyone again.

Uncovering information about child pornography web sites would seem to be a worthwhile use of the techniques described here. Indeed, the most widespread and successful application of Internet forensics thus far has been the investigation of these sites by the law enforcement agencies around the world. But while there is the potential for non-professionals to assist in this effort, ...