Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide

Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide

by Muhiballah Mohammed
Released October 2023
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781803248479

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Book description

Build your expertise in Windows incident analysis by mastering artifacts and techniques for efficient cybercrime investigation with this comprehensive guide

Key Features

  • Gain hands-on experience with reputable and reliable tools such as KAPE and FTK Imager
  • Explore artifacts and techniques for successful cybercrime investigation in Microsoft Teams, email, and memory forensics
  • Understand advanced browser forensics by investigating Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and IE intricacies
  • Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

In this digitally driven era, safeguarding against relentless cyber threats is non-negotiable. This guide will enable you to enhance your skills as a digital forensic examiner by introducing you to cyber challenges that besiege modern entities. It will help you to understand the indispensable role adept digital forensic experts play in preventing these threats and equip you with proactive tools to defend against ever-evolving cyber onslaughts.

The book begins by unveiling the intricacies of Windows operating systems and their foundational forensic artifacts, helping you master the art of streamlined investigative processes. From harnessing opensource tools for artifact collection to delving into advanced analysis, you’ll develop the skills needed to excel as a seasoned forensic examiner. As you advance, you’ll be able to effortlessly amass and dissect evidence to pinpoint the crux of issues. You’ll also delve into memory forensics tailored for Windows OS, decipher patterns within user data, and log and untangle intricate artifacts such as emails and browser data.

By the end of this book, you’ll be able to robustly counter computer intrusions and breaches, untangle digital complexities with unwavering assurance, and stride confidently in the realm of digital forensics.

What you will learn

  • Master the step-by-step investigation of efficient evidence analysis
  • Explore Windows artifacts and leverage them to gain crucial insights
  • Acquire evidence using specialized tools such as FTK Imager to maximize retrieval
  • Gain a clear understanding of Windows memory forensics to extract key insights
  • Experience the benefits of registry keys and registry tools in user profiling by analyzing Windows registry hives
  • Decode artifacts such as emails, applications execution, and Windows browsers for pivotal insights

Who this book is for

This book is for forensic investigators with basic experience in the field, cybersecurity professionals, SOC analysts, DFIR analysts, and anyone interested in gaining deeper knowledge of Windows forensics. It's also a valuable resource for students and beginners in the field of IT who’re thinking of pursuing a career in digital forensics and incident response.

Table of contents

  1. Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide
  2. Contributors
  3. About the author
  4. About the reviewers
  5. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Conventions used
    5. Get in touch
    6. Reviews
    7. Share Your Thoughts
    8. Download a free PDF copy of this book
  6. Part 1:Windows OS Forensics and Lab Preparation
  7. Chapter 1: Introducing the Windows OS and Filesystems and Getting Prepared for the Labs
    1. Technical requirements
    2. What is a Microsoft OS?
    3. The modern Windows OS and filesystems
      1. Windows XP
      2. Windows Vista
      3. Windows 7, 8 and 8.1
      4. Windows 10
    4. Digital forensics and common terminology
      1. What is digital forensics?
      2. Digital forensic terminology
      3. The process of digital forensics
      4. Digital evidence
    5. Windows VSS
    6. Preparing a lab environment
    7. Summary
    8. Questions
  8. Chapter 2: Evidence Acquisition
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An overview of evidence acquisition for Windows OS
    3. A forensic analyst’s jump bag (first responder kit)
    4. Understanding the order of volatility
    5. Acquisition tools for Windows OS
      1. Using FTK Imager
      2. Using KAPE
      3. Additional tools
    6. Evidence collection and acquisition exercise
    7. Summary
  9. Chapter 3: Memory Forensics for the Windows OS
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Understanding memory forensics concepts and techniques
      1. Some techniques to overcome the challenges
      2. Why memory forensics is important
    3. Exploring the main components of Windows
      1. The kernel
      2. Windows processes
      3. Windows services
      4. Device drivers
      5. DLLs
      6. The registry
      7. The filesystem
      8. Investigation methodology
    4. Understanding Windows architecture
    5. Looking at the memory acquisition tools
      1. Using FTK Imager to capture memory
      2. WinPmem
      3. DumpIt
      4. Belkasoft RAM Capturer
      5. MAGNET RAM Capture
    6. Using Volatility to analyze memory dumps and plugins
      1. Volatility architecture
      2. Volatility plugins
      3. Volatility commands
      4. Identifying the profile
      5. The imageinfo plugin
      6. The process list and tree
      7. The netscan plugin
      8. The hivescan and hivelist plugins
      9. A brief overview of Volatility 3
    7. Evidence collection and acquisition exercise
    8. Summary
  10. Chapter 4: The Windows Registry
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Windows Registry fundamentals
      1. Why do we care about the Windows Registry?
      2. Components of the Windows Registry
      3. Windows Registry hierarchy
    3. Windows Registry hives
      1. HKLM
      2. HKCU
      3. HKCR
    4. Windows Registry data types
    5. User registry hives
      1. NTUSER.DAT
      2. UsrClass.dat
    6. Windows Registry acquisition and analysis
      1. regedit.exe and reg.exe
      2. powershell.exe
      3. Windows Registry acquisition
    7. Windows Registry analysis tools
      1. Registry Explorer
      2. RegRipper
      3. Registry Viewer
      4. RECmd.exe
    8. Windows Registry forensic analysis exercises
    9. Summary
  11. Chapter 5: User Profiling Using the Windows Registry
    1. Profiling system details
      1. Identifying the OS version
      2. Identifying CurrentControlSet
      3. Validating the computer name
      4. Identifying time zones
      5. Identifying services
      6. Installed applications
      7. The PrefetchParameters subkey
      8. Network activities
      9. Autostart registry keys
    2. Profiling user activities
      1. SAM registry hive
      2. Domain and local user details
      3. NTUSER.DAT
      4. The RecentDocs key
      5. The TypedPaths key
      6. The TypedURLs subkey
    3. User profiling using Windows Registry exercises
    4. Summary
  12. Part 2:Windows OS Additional Artifacts
  13. Chapter 6: Application Execution Artifacts
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Windows evidence of execution artifacts
    3. Looking at the NTUSER.DAT, Amcache, and SYSTEM hives
      1. Understanding and analyzing UserAssist
      2. Background Activity Moderator (BAM)
      3. Shimcache
      4. Amcache.hve
      5. RunMRU
      6. LastVisitedPidlMRU
    4. Windows Prefetch
    5. Application execution artifact exercises
    6. Summary
  14. Chapter 7: Forensic Analysis of USB Artifacts
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Overview of USB devices and types
    3. Understanding stored evidence on USB devices
    4. Analyzing USB artifacts
      1. Identifying the USB device type, product, and vendor ID
      2. Identifying the volume serial number
      3. Identifying the volume name and letter
      4. Using the USBDeview tool
    5. Exploring a real-world scenario of identifying the root cause
    6. USB artifacts analysis exercises
    7. Summary
  15. Chapter 8: Forensic Analysis of Browser Artifacts
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Overview of browsers
    3. Internet Explorer
    4. Microsoft Edge
    5. Google Chrome
      1. Chrome artifacts
    6. Firefox
    7. Browser forensics exercises
    8. Summary
  16. Chapter 9: Exploring Additional Artifacts
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Email forensic analysis
      1. Types of phishing emails
      2. Email header analysis
      3. Analyzing Outlook emails
    3. Event log analysis
      1. Security event logs
      2. Application event logs
    4. Analyzing $MFT
      1. MFTEcmd.exe
      2. LNK file analysis
      3. Recycle Bin analysis
      4. ShellBags and jump lists
      5. System Resource Utilization Monitor (SRUM)
    5. Case study – analyzing malware infections
      1. Analysis
      2. Belksoft Live RAM Capturer
      3. KAPE
    6. Additional forensic artifacts exercises
    7. Summary
  17. Index
    1. Why subscribe?
  18. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Packt is searching for authors like you
    2. Share Your Thoughts
    3. Download a free PDF copy of this book

Product information

  • Title: Windows Forensics Analyst Field Guide
  • Author(s): Muhiballah Mohammed
  • Release date: October 2023
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781803248479