Python Digital Forensics Cookbook


Book Description

Over 60 recipes to help you learn digital forensics and leverage Python scripts to amplify your examinations About This Book Develop code that extracts vital information from everyday forensic acquisitions. Increase the quality and efficiency of your forensic analysis. Leverage the latest resources and capabilities available to the forensic community. Who This Book Is For If you are a digital forensics examiner, cyber security specialist, or analyst at heart, understand the basics of Python, and want to take it to the next level, this is the book for you. Along the way, you will be introduced to a number of libraries suitable for parsing forensic artifacts. Readers will be able to use and build upon the scripts we develop to elevate their analysis. What You Will Learn Understand how Python can enhance digital forensics and investigations Learn to access the contents of, and process, forensic evidence containers Explore malware through automated static analysis Extract and review message contents from a variety of email formats Add depth and context to discovered IP addresses and domains through various Application Program Interfaces (APIs) Delve into mobile forensics and recover deleted messages from SQLite databases Index large logs into a platform to better query and visualize datasets In Detail Technology plays an increasingly large role in our daily lives and shows no sign of stopping. Now, more than ever, it is paramount that an investigator develops programming expertise to deal with increasingly large datasets. By leveraging the Python recipes explored throughout this book, we make the complex simple, quickly extracting relevant information from large datasets. You will explore, develop, and deploy Python code and libraries to provide meaningful results that can be immediately applied to your investigations. Throughout the Python Digital Forensics Cookbook, recipes include topics such as working with forensic evidence containers, parsing mobile and desktop operating system artifacts, extracting embedded metadata from documents and executables, and identifying indicators of compromise. You will also learn to integrate scripts with Application Program Interfaces (APIs) such as VirusTotal and PassiveTotal, and tools such as Axiom, Cellebrite, and EnCase. By the end of the book, you will have a sound understanding of Python and how you can use it to process artifacts in your investigations. Style and approach Our succinct recipes take a no-frills approach to solving common challenges faced in investigations. The code in this book covers a wide range of artifacts and data sources. These examples will help improve the accuracy and efficiency of your analysis—no matter the situation.




Learning Python for Forensics


Book Description

Learn the art of designing, developing, and deploying innovative forensic solutions through Python About This Book This practical guide will help you solve forensic dilemmas through the development of Python scripts Analyze Python scripts to extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts Master the skills of parsing complex data structures by taking advantage of Python libraries Who This Book Is For If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional that is seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then this book is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding of examiners who wish to learn programming What You Will Learn Discover how to perform Python script development Update yourself by learning the best practices in forensic programming Build scripts through an iterative design Explore the rapid development of specialized scripts Understand how to leverage forensic libraries developed by the community Design flexibly to accommodate present and future hurdles Conduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic pre-analysis Discover how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizations In Detail This book will illustrate how and why you should learn Python to strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. The tutorials use an interactive design, giving you experience of the development process so you gain a better understanding of what it means to be a forensic developer. Each chapter walks you through a forensic artifact and one or more methods to analyze the evidence. It also provides reasons why one method may be advantageous over another. We cover common digital forensics and incident response scenarios, with scripts that can be used to tackle case work in the field. Using built-in and community-sourced libraries, you will improve your problem solving skills with the addition of the Python scripting language. In addition, we provide resources for further exploration of each script so you can understand what further purposes Python can serve. With this knowledge, you can rapidly develop and deploy solutions to identify critical information and fine-tune your skill set as an examiner. Style and approach The book begins by instructing you on the basics of Python, followed by chapters that include scripts targeted for forensic casework. Each script is described step by step at an introductory level, providing gradual growth to demonstrate the available functionalities of Python.




Python Forensics


Book Description

Python Forensics provides many never-before-published proven forensic modules, libraries, and solutions that can be used right out of the box. In addition, detailed instruction and documentation provided with the code samples will allow even novice Python programmers to add their own unique twists or use the models presented to build new solutions. Rapid development of new cybercrime investigation tools is an essential ingredient in virtually every case and environment. Whether you are performing post-mortem investigation, executing live triage, extracting evidence from mobile devices or cloud services, or you are collecting and processing evidence from a network, Python forensic implementations can fill in the gaps. Drawing upon years of practical experience and using numerous examples and illustrative code samples, author Chet Hosmer discusses how to: - Develop new forensic solutions independent of large vendor software release schedules - Participate in an open-source workbench that facilitates direct involvement in the design and implementation of new methods that augment or replace existing tools - Advance your career by creating new solutions along with the construction of cutting-edge automation solutions to solve old problems - Provides hands-on tools, code samples, and detailed instruction and documentation that can be put to use immediately - Discusses how to create a Python forensics workbench - Covers effective forensic searching and indexing using Python - Shows how to use Python to examine mobile device operating systems: iOS, Android, and Windows 8 - Presents complete coverage of how to use Python scripts for network investigation




Learning Python for Forensics


Book Description

Design, develop, and deploy innovative forensic solutions using Python Key FeaturesDiscover how to develop Python scripts for effective digital forensic analysisMaster the skills of parsing complex data structures with Python librariesSolve forensic challenges through the development of practical Python scriptsBook Description Digital forensics plays an integral role in solving complex cybercrimes and helping organizations make sense of cybersecurity incidents. This second edition of Learning Python for Forensics illustrates how Python can be used to support these digital investigations and permits the examiner to automate the parsing of forensic artifacts to spend more time examining actionable data. The second edition of Learning Python for Forensics will illustrate how to develop Python scripts using an iterative design. Further, it demonstrates how to leverage the various built-in and community-sourced forensics scripts and libraries available for Python today. This book will help strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. By the end of this book, you will build a collection of Python scripts capable of investigating an array of forensic artifacts and master the skills of extracting metadata and parsing complex data structures into actionable reports. Most importantly, you will have developed a foundation upon which to build as you continue to learn Python and enhance your efficacy as an investigator. What you will learnLearn how to develop Python scripts to solve complex forensic problemsBuild scripts using an iterative designDesign code to accommodate present and future hurdlesLeverage built-in and community-sourced librariesUnderstand the best practices in forensic programmingLearn how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizationsCreate forensic frameworks to automate analysis of multiple forensic artifactsConduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic processingWho this book is for If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then Learning Python for Forensics is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding for examiners who wish to learn programming.




Violent Python


Book Description

Violent Python shows you how to move from a theoretical understanding of offensive computing concepts to a practical implementation. Instead of relying on another attacker's tools, this book will teach you to forge your own weapons using the Python programming language. This book demonstrates how to write Python scripts to automate large-scale network attacks, extract metadata, and investigate forensic artifacts. It also shows how to write code to intercept and analyze network traffic using Python, craft and spoof wireless frames to attack wireless and Bluetooth devices, and how to data-mine popular social media websites and evade modern anti-virus. - Demonstrates how to write Python scripts to automate large-scale network attacks, extract metadata, and investigate forensic artifacts - Write code to intercept and analyze network traffic using Python. Craft and spoof wireless frames to attack wireless and Bluetooth devices - Data-mine popular social media websites and evade modern anti-virus




Mastering Python Forensics


Book Description

Master the art of digital forensics and analysis with Python About This Book Learn to perform forensic analysis and investigations with the help of Python, and gain an advanced understanding of the various Python libraries and frameworks Analyze Python scripts to extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts The writers, Dr. Michael Spreitzenbarth and Dr. Johann Uhrmann, have used their experience to craft this hands-on guide to using Python for forensic analysis and investigations Who This Book Is For If you are a network security professional or forensics analyst who wants to gain a deeper understanding of performing forensic analysis with Python, then this book is for you. Some Python experience would be helpful. What You Will Learn Explore the forensic analysis of different platforms such as Windows, Android, and vSphere Semi-automatically reconstruct major parts of the system activity and time-line Leverage Python ctypes for protocol decoding Examine artifacts from mobile, Skype, and browsers Discover how to utilize Python to improve the focus of your analysis Investigate in volatile memory with the help of volatility on the Android and Linux platforms In Detail Digital forensic analysis is the process of examining and extracting data digitally and examining it. Python has the combination of power, expressiveness, and ease of use that makes it an essential complementary tool to the traditional, off-the-shelf digital forensic tools. This book will teach you how to perform forensic analysis and investigations by exploring the capabilities of various Python libraries. The book starts by explaining the building blocks of the Python programming language, especially ctypes in-depth, along with how to automate typical tasks in file system analysis, common correlation tasks to discover anomalies, as well as templates for investigations. Next, we'll show you cryptographic algorithms that can be used during forensic investigations to check for known files or to compare suspicious files with online services such as VirusTotal or Mobile-Sandbox. Moving on, you'll learn how to sniff on the network, generate and analyze network flows, and perform log correlation with the help of Python scripts and tools. You'll get to know about the concepts of virtualization and how virtualization influences IT forensics, and you'll discover how to perform forensic analysis of a jailbroken/rooted mobile device that is based on iOS or Android. Finally, the book teaches you how to analyze volatile memory and search for known malware samples based on YARA rules. Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide will demonstrate forensic analysis techniques by showing you how to solve real-word-scenarios step by step.




Learning Network Forensics


Book Description

Identify and safeguard your network against both internal and external threats, hackers, and malware attacks About This Book Lay your hands on physical and virtual evidence to understand the sort of crime committed by capturing and analyzing network traffic Connect the dots by understanding web proxies, firewalls, and routers to close in on your suspect A hands-on guide to help you solve your case with malware forensic methods and network behaviors Who This Book Is For If you are a network administrator, system administrator, information security, or forensics professional and wish to learn network forensic to track the intrusions through network-based evidence, then this book is for you. Basic knowledge of Linux and networking concepts is expected. What You Will Learn Understand Internetworking, sources of network-based evidence and other basic technical fundamentals, including the tools that will be used throughout the book Acquire evidence using traffic acquisition software and know how to manage and handle the evidence Perform packet analysis by capturing and collecting data, along with content analysis Locate wireless devices, as well as capturing and analyzing wireless traffic data packets Implement protocol analysis and content matching; acquire evidence from NIDS/NIPS Act upon the data and evidence gathered by being able to connect the dots and draw links between various events Apply logging and interfaces, along with analyzing web proxies and understanding encrypted web traffic Use IOCs (Indicators of Compromise) and build real-world forensic solutions, dealing with malware In Detail We live in a highly networked world. Every digital device—phone, tablet, or computer is connected to each other, in one way or another. In this new age of connected networks, there is network crime. Network forensics is the brave new frontier of digital investigation and information security professionals to extend their abilities to catch miscreants on the network. The book starts with an introduction to the world of network forensics and investigations. You will begin by getting an understanding of how to gather both physical and virtual evidence, intercepting and analyzing network data, wireless data packets, investigating intrusions, and so on. You will further explore the technology, tools, and investigating methods using malware forensics, network tunneling, and behaviors. By the end of the book, you will gain a complete understanding of how to successfully close a case. Style and approach An easy-to-follow book filled with real-world case studies and applications. Each topic is explained along with all the practical tools and software needed, allowing the reader to use a completely hands-on approach.




Learn Computer Forensics


Book Description

Get up and running with collecting evidence using forensics best practices to present your findings in judicial or administrative proceedings Key Features Learn the core techniques of computer forensics to acquire and secure digital evidence skillfully Conduct a digital forensic examination and document the digital evidence collected Perform a variety of Windows forensic investigations to analyze and overcome complex challenges Book DescriptionA computer forensics investigator must possess a variety of skills, including the ability to answer legal questions, gather and document evidence, and prepare for an investigation. This book will help you get up and running with using digital forensic tools and techniques to investigate cybercrimes successfully. Starting with an overview of forensics and all the open source and commercial tools needed to get the job done, you'll learn core forensic practices for searching databases and analyzing data over networks, personal devices, and web applications. You'll then learn how to acquire valuable information from different places, such as filesystems, e-mails, browser histories, and search queries, and capture data remotely. As you advance, this book will guide you through implementing forensic techniques on multiple platforms, such as Windows, Linux, and macOS, to demonstrate how to recover valuable information as evidence. Finally, you'll get to grips with presenting your findings efficiently in judicial or administrative proceedings. By the end of this book, you'll have developed a clear understanding of how to acquire, analyze, and present digital evidence like a proficient computer forensics investigator.What you will learn Understand investigative processes, the rules of evidence, and ethical guidelines Recognize and document different types of computer hardware Understand the boot process covering BIOS, UEFI, and the boot sequence Validate forensic hardware and software Discover the locations of common Windows artifacts Document your findings using technically correct terminology Who this book is for If you're an IT beginner, student, or an investigator in the public or private sector this book is for you. This book will also help professionals and investigators who are new to incident response and digital forensics and interested in making a career in the cybersecurity domain. Individuals planning to pass the Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) certification will also find this book useful.




Python for Cybersecurity


Book Description

Discover an up-to-date and authoritative exploration of Python cybersecurity strategies Python For Cybersecurity: Using Python for Cyber Offense and Defense delivers an intuitive and hands-on explanation of using Python for cybersecurity. It relies on the MITRE ATT&CK framework to structure its exploration of cyberattack techniques, attack defenses, and the key cybersecurity challenges facing network administrators and other stakeholders today. Offering downloadable sample code, the book is written to help you discover how to use Python in a wide variety of cybersecurity situations, including: Reconnaissance, resource development, initial access, and execution Persistence, privilege escalation, defense evasion, and credential access Discovery, lateral movement, collection, and command and control Exfiltration and impact Each chapter includes discussions of several techniques and sub-techniques that could be used to achieve an attacker's objectives in any of these use cases. The ideal resource for anyone with a professional or personal interest in cybersecurity, Python For Cybersecurity offers in-depth information about a wide variety of attacks and effective, Python-based defenses against them.




Your Code as a Crime Scene


Book Description

Jack the Ripper and legacy codebases have more in common than you'd think. Inspired by forensic psychology methods, you'll learn strategies to predict the future of your codebase, assess refactoring direction, and understand how your team influences the design. With its unique blend of forensic psychology and code analysis, this book arms you with the strategies you need, no matter what programming language you use. Software is a living entity that's constantly changing. To understand software systems, we need to know where they came from and how they evolved. By mining commit data and analyzing the history of your code, you can start fixes ahead of time to eliminate broken designs, maintenance issues, and team productivity bottlenecks. In this book, you'll learn forensic psychology techniques to successfully maintain your software. You'll create a geographic profile from your commit data to find hotspots, and apply temporal coupling concepts to uncover hidden relationships between unrelated areas in your code. You'll also measure the effectiveness of your code improvements. You'll learn how to apply these techniques on projects both large and small. For small projects, you'll get new insights into your design and how well the code fits your ideas. For large projects, you'll identify the good and the fragile parts. Large-scale development is also a social activity, and the team's dynamics influence code quality. That's why this book shows you how to uncover social biases when analyzing the evolution of your system. You'll use commit messages as eyewitness accounts to what is really happening in your code. Finally, you'll put it all together by tracking organizational problems in the code and finding out how to fix them. Come join the hunt for better code! What You Need: You need Java 6 and Python 2.7 to run the accompanying analysis tools. You also need Git to follow along with the examples.