Inproceedings
Overview of the Forensic Investigation of Cloud Services
Contribution Summary
This paper presents an overview of the forensic investigation of cloud services, highlighting the complexities and challenges associated with cloud computing in digital forensics. The authors discuss the current state-of-the-art in cloud-focused digital forensic practices, including the collection and analysis of evidence, and the potential use of cloud technologies to provide Digital Forensics as a Service. The paper also examines the technical obstacles and legal impediments to the comprehensive evidence locating and gathering process from cloud computing sources, and identifies areas of research that could be beneficial to forensic investigations involving cloud-based evidence.
Keywords: Cloud Computing; Digital Forensics; Cloud Security; Cloud Storage; Cloud Evidence; Cloud Investigation; Cloud Forensics; Cloud-Based Services
Abstract
Cloud Computing is a commonly used, yet ambiguous term, which can be used to refer to a multitude of differing dynamically allocated services. From a law enforcement and forensic investigation perspective, cloud computing can be thought of as a double edged sword. While on one hand, the gathering of digital evidence from cloud sources can bring with it complicated technical and cross-jurisdictional legal challenges. On the other, the employment of cloud storage and processing capabilities can expedite the forensics process and focus the investigation onto pertinent data earlier in an investigation. This paper examines the state-of-the-art in cloud-focused, digital forensic practises for the collection and analysis of evidence and an overview of the potential use of cloud technologies to provide Digital Forensics as a Service.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{farina2015overviewcloudforensics,
author={Farina, Jason and Scanlon, Mark and Le-Khac, Nhien-An and Kechadi, M-Tahar},
title="{Overview of the Forensic Investigation of Cloud Services}",
booktitle="{10th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2015)}",
year=2015,
month=08,
pages="556-565",
address="Toulouse, France",
doi="10.1109/ARES.2015.81",
publisher={IEEE},
abstract="Cloud Computing is a commonly used, yet ambiguous term, which can be used to refer to a multitude of differing dynamically allocated services. From a law enforcement and forensic investigation perspective, cloud computing can be thought of as a double edged sword. While on one hand, the gathering of digital evidence from cloud sources can bring with it complicated technical and cross-jurisdictional legal challenges. On the other, the employment of cloud storage and processing capabilities can expedite the forensics process and focus the investigation onto pertinent data earlier in an investigation. This paper examines the state-of-the-art in cloud-focused, digital forensic practises for the collection and analysis of evidence and an overview of the potential use of cloud technologies to provide Digital Forensics as a Service."
}