Digital profiling: A computer forensics approach

Abstract

Nowadays investigations have become more difficult than in the past. It is already clear that, in modern crime scene, a vast amount of evidence are in the electronic or digital form and that the computer system or network have a paramount role in researching of indicators and evidence. The correct analysis of log file and the data saved in the system memory, in this new scenario, are crucial for understanding the criminal actions. Moreover, in order to transform these new elements in evidence, it is important, as well, do not lose sight of the goal of the investigative process and namely identify the perpetrator, even in the cases in which the association of the criminal and of the computer, where crime has been committed, is difficult. This paper, under this prospective, aims to recognize an alternative investigation approach to traditional criminal profiling. Starting from digital evidence left on the computer system, this research suggests an analytic methodology useful to draw a compatible user digital profile in conjunctions to the evidence left on the system. © 2011 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.