[DFSci] Journal of Digital Investigation Update

[Eoghan Casey]

Colleagues,

The Journal of Digital Investigation is excited to announce that the  
following two articles in the latest issue are now freely available  
online (http://www.digitalinvestigation.net). The first paper is a  
comprehensive analysis of the cause of bad sectors that helps resolve  
a persistent problem in our field initially reported by Lyle and Wozar  
at NIST. The second is a legal commentary on why computer forensic  
professionals should not be required to have private investigator  
licenses.

Contagious errors: Understanding and avoiding issues with imaging  
drives containing faulty sectors
David Byers and Nahid Shahmehri (Linköping University)

Legal Commentary: Why computer forensic professionals shouldn't be  
required to have private investigator licenses
Joseph J. Schwerha IV (California University of Pennsylvania and  
TraceEvidence, LLC)


This issue has an exceptional combination of papers dealing with  
cutting edge aspects of digital forensics including SatNav devices,  
CCTV systems, and Windows Vista. In addition, there is a case study  
detailing a practical approach for recovering deleted information from  
CD-R disks that was instrumental in a child exploitation  
investigation. The other papers in this issue are listed below and we  
thank the contributors for sharing their knowledge with the community.

Recovering erased digital evidence from CD-RW discs in a child  
exploitation investigation
James Wardwell (New Britain Police Department)
G. Stevenson Smith (Southeastern Oklahoma State University)

Pinpointing TomTom location records: A forensic analysis
Beverley Nutter (Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard)

Case study: Forensic analysis of a Samsung digital video recorder
Wouter S. van Dongen (Fox-IT Forensic IT Experts)

Windows Vista and digital investigations
Christopher Hargreaves and Howard Chivers (Cranfield University)
Dave Titheridge (North Wales Police)

Classification of digital camera-models based on demosaicing artifacts
Sevinc Bayram, Husrev T. Sencar and Nasir Memon (Polytechnic University)

Impersonator identification through dynamic fingerprinting
Chad M.S. Steel and Chang-Tien Lu (Virginia Polytechnic Institute)


Journal of Digital Investigation Background:

The Journal of Digital Investigation covers cutting edge developments  
in digital forensics and incident response from around the globe. This  
widely referenced publication helps digital investigators remain  
current on new technologies, useful tools, relevant research,  
investigative techniques, and methods for handling security breaches.

Practitioners in corporate, criminal and military settings use this  
journal to share their knowledge and experiences, including current  
challenges and lessons learned. Publication in this journal helps  
develop an individual's credentials as an active member of their field.

Research papers, survey articles, practitioner reports, case studies,  
tools reviews, and legal analysis relevant to incident response and  
digital forensics are welcomed. The first issue of the journal each  
year is available for free in digital form. Papers from recent issues  
include:

- An introduction to investigating IPv6 networks (Nikkel, B.J.)
- Case study: Network intrusion investigation - lessons in forensic  
preparation (Casey, E.)
- Forensic artefacts left by Windows Live Messenger 8.0 (van Dongen,  
W.S.)
- Forensic discovery auditing of digital evidence containers (Richard,  
G.G.; Roussev, V.; Marziale, L.)
- Tackling the U3 trend with computer forensics (Spruill, A.; Pavan, C.)
- Using every part of the buffalo in Windows memory analysis  
(Kornblum, J.)
- The Windows Registry as a forensic artefact: Illustrating evidence  
collection for Internet usage (Mee, V.; Tryfonas, T.; Sutherland, I.)
- User data persistence in physical memory (Solomon, J.; Huebner, E.;  
Bem, D.; Szezynska, M.)
- An examination into MSN Messenger 7.5 contact identification by Mike  
Dickson

Of particular interest are new submissions addressing the intersection  
of information security and digital forensics, including:

- Incident handling
- Managing rapid emergency response
- Intrusion investigation
- Case management issues with large data quantities
- Volatile data analysis
- Malware analysis
- Vista artifacts
- Network traffic and log analysis
- Certification, qualifications and education of practitioners
- Digital investigators relating to lawyers and regular investigators
- The role of law enforcement

Please visit the journal homepage at http:// 
www.digitalinvestigation.net for instructions on submission and free  
access to the online edition of the current issue. Submissions for all  
types of manuscripts to Digital Investigation proceeds totally online  
via the Elsevier Editorial System (http://ees.elsevier.com/diin). All  
papers are peer reviewed by members of the Board of Referees prior to  
acceptance for publication in the journal.

Eoghan Casey
Editor-in-Chief