International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 11 | Nov 2024
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
Forensics of Chromium-Based Web Browsers in Windows Systems Dija S, Veena Vijayan Center for Development of Advanced Computing, Thiruvanathapuram, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - Cybersecurity and digital investigations, Browser
updates and new versions of these browsers change the locations and structures of digital artifacts stored on a user's system. As developers implement these updates, artifact locations can shift, complicating forensic analysis. This study emphasizes the importance of constant adaptation in forensic approaches to effectively detect and analyze digital traces left by users in modern browsing environments.
Forensics has become increasingly important due to the growing dependence on internet for everyday tasks. Browser Forensics is crucial in the Cybercrime investigation as they can reveal the user’s online behaviour, establish a timeline and uncover potential criminal activities. This paper highlights the critical role of Browser Forensics in reconstructing user activity and uncovering digital evidence. The paper also examines the evolution of browser artifacts within Chromiumbased web browsers on Windows systems, detailing the changes in artifact locations and retrieval methods over recent versions. The implications of these modifications for forensic analysis, emphasize the necessity for updated methodologies in digital investigations, by providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of browser artifacts, including history files, cookies, cache, and session data. The findings underscore the need for forensic professionals to adapt to these ongoing changes, ensuring effective retrieval and analysis of browser-related data in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
2.BROWSER FORENSICS Browser Forensics is crucial in supplying forensically relevant information during Cyber Crime Investigations, as web browsers generate numerous files on the local system while users browse the Internet [2]. The purpose of Browser Forensics is to retrieve and analyze digital artifacts related to user Internet activity. Given that web browsers are now common place for all humans and organizations to access the Internet, they are a treasure trove of information on user’s online actions, preferences, and interactions. When users access the internet, web browsers create specific local files that store information about their online activities.
Key Words: Browser Forensics, Internet Forensics, Web Browser Artifacts
These files are extremely useful for Cyber Forensics investigations as they may contain useful evidence related to the reported crime. As browser technology advances rapidly and developers release updates regularly, the locations and structures of the artifacts can quickly shift leading to the need for specialized skills and tools for navigating encrypted storage and proprietary file formats. Therefore, web browser analysis serves as an important forensic methodology overall.
1.INTRODUCTION In today’s digital world, the web browser remains the most mainstream means for accessing the Internet. From extremely business-critical operations to casual browsing, there exists a varied spectrum of activities. Some of the popular Chromium-based browsers—Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Maxthon, and Yandex—have gained huge adaptability due to their high speeds, super security features, and open-source architecture. These widely used browsers are an important area of focus for cybercrime investigations. Browser Forensics primarily concerns the identification, recovery, and analysis of digital artifacts left by the user, which may include a history of browsing, cookies, cache, autofill data, or records of downloads. Such artifacts can offer important information about user behavior, intent, and the online activities of the suspect.
2.1 Browser File Locations Modern web browsers create different files to store information about the activities of user. These files are stored in specific file locations on a Windows system, sot the browser can monitor and keep records of the user’s activities online. This paper explores the artifact locations of the browsers in local system and evaluate the changes in the locations as well as in the structures of these files after updates. It emphasizes how updates of browsers affect the storage and retrieval processes of forensics data and thus how investigators need to be constantly update on such changes for appropriate tracing of the digital trail left by users.
Web browsers create reliable forensic traces of internet browsing activities on the storage media of computers. This paper specifically focuses on the forensic analysis of widely used web browsers, examining a range of artifacts such as Visited URLs, Searched Keywords, Downloads, Bookmarks, Favorites, Cookies, Cache, etc. These artifacts are vital for identifying user behavior and intentions. The frequent
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