Cloud Technology and the Challenges for Forensics Investigators

Abstract

Cloud computing is an recent technology offers a cheap and almost limitless computing power and storage space for data which can be leveraged to commit either new or old crimes and host related traces. This paper aims to review and discuss the challenges for digital forensics in cloud that we cannot seize the physical hardware which runs various applications in cloud. Cloud forensics is difficult. because there are challenges with multi-tenant hosting, synchronization problems and techniques for segregating the data in the logs. Cloud forensic is the process of identifying, preserving, analyzing and presenting digital evidence in a manner that is legally acceptable. The complexity of forensics and investigations in a cloud environment is broadly related to the various challenges which are discussed in the paper. We came to know that the main challenge in cloud forensic is of data acquisition. It is important to know exactly where the data is located and actually acquiring it. If Cloud Service Providers practice to preserve volatile data, the loss of important artifacts, which could be potentially crucial evidence, can be made avoided.