Performance Evaluation of four Different Forensic Tools for Web Browser Analysis

Grace Bunmi Akintola¹

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.10 , Issue.10 , pp.68-82, Oct-2024

Online published on Oct 31, 2024

Copyright © Grace Bunmi Akintola . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

View this paper at   Google Scholar | DPI Digital Library

XML View     PDF Download

How to Cite this Paper

Abstract :
Advancements in digital technology have significantly increased the speed and convenience of internet use, enabling people to perform various tasks and activities through different web browsers. However, cybercriminals have exploited these advancements to carry out cybercrimes using multiple devices, including computers and mobile devices. The rise in cybercrime necessitates the adoption of digital forensics technologies and tools by law enforcement agencies to identify, acquire, process, analyze, and report electronically stored data from seized devices, tracking the suspect`s online activities. This data can serve as admissible evidence in court if a forensic investigator conducts a thorough investigation. This paper evaluates and compares the performance of four forensic tools on a Windows 10 system using live data acquisition. The selected tools include Browser History Examiner (BHE), Browser History View (BHV), RS Browser, and OS Forensic, which were used to analyze five commonly used web browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera Mini, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox. The evaluation focuses on feature-based accuracy to determine which tools provide more valuable and substantial evidence during criminal investigations. Among the thirty-nine features identified across all tools, the OS Forensic tool demonstrated the highest accuracy, retrieving comprehensive browser data with an accuracy of 89.74% across four browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and Firefox). The RS Browser tool showed an accuracy of 71.79% across all five browsers, while BHE demonstrated an accuracy of 61.54% across Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. BHV exhibited 33.33% accuracy across the four browsers.

Key-Words / Index Term :
digital forensic, forensic tools, web browsers, Cybercrime, live acquisition data, digital forensic technology, web browser analysis

References :
[1] F. Carroll, "Human-Browser Interaction: Investigating Whether the Current BrowserApplication’s Design Makes Sense for Its Users?," INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION, pp.1-12, 2023.
[2] D. Dissanayaka and D. Wickramasinghe, "Factors Affecting the Selection of Web Browsers by University Students: Special Reference to Rajarata University," Journal of Information Systems & Information Technology (JISIT), Vol.5, Issue.2, pp.26-42, 2020.
[3] S. Gusarov, O. Salmanova, O. Prysyazhnyuk, and Y. Shovkun, "Legal Basis for The Activities of Law Enforcement Agencies Under the Legal Regime of Martial Law," International Journal of Religion, Vol.5, Issue.3, pp.281-287, 2024.
[4] N. Nelufule, M. Masango, and T. Singano, "The Future of Digital Forensic Investigations: Keeping the Pace with Technological Advancements," in 2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO), Opatija, Croatia, 2024.
[5] H. Dubey, S. Bhatt, and L. Neg, "Digital Forensics Techniques and Trends: A Review," The International Arab Journal of Information Technology, Vol.20, Issue.4, pp.644- 654, 2023.
[6] Selim and ?. Ali, "The Role of Digital Forensic Analysis in Modern Investigations," Journal of Emerging Computer Technologies, Vol.4, Issue.1, pp.1-5, 2024.
[7] N. P. Bhosale, "Evidence Recovery using EnCase and FTK in Forensic Computing Investigation," International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science and Engineering, Vol.9, Issue.4, pp.8-13, 2021.
[8] Rasool and Z. Jalil, "A Review of Web Browser Forensic Analysis Tools and Techniques," Researchpedia, Vol.1, Issue.1, pp.15-21, 2020.
[9] Souley and A. S. Sambo, "A Comparative Performance Analysis of Popular Internet Browsers in Current Web Applications," African Journal Online, Vol.1, Issue.1, pp.1-7, 2022.
[10] Mohamed and I. Ismail, "A Performance Comparative on Most Popular Internet Web Browsers," in 4th International Conference on Innovative Data Communication Technology and Application, UAE, 2022.
[11] Noland, "Current Challenges of Digital Forensics," Themis: Research Journal of Justice, vol. 12, Issue.1, pp.5-20, 2024.
[12] D. Salman and E. H.Hasan, "Survey Study of Digital Forensics: Challenges, Applications and Tools," in 2023 16th International Conference on Developments in eSystems Engineering (DeSE), Turkey, 2023.
[13] J. V. 9. I. A. C. I. T. A. O. F. E. I. C. I. NIGERIAbyG.V.OBAMANU1, "LEGAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN THE ADMISSIBILITY OF DIGITAL FORENSIC EVIDENCE IN COURTS IN NIGERIA," African Journal, vol. 8, Issue 1, pp.96-109, 2023.
[14] H. Fakhouri, M. A. Alsharaiah and A. A. Hwaitat, "Overview of Challenges Faced by Digital Forensic," in 2024 2nd International Conference on Cyber Resilience (ICCR), Jordan, 2024.
[15] A.R. Mahlous and H. Mahlous, "Private Browsing Forensic Analysis: A Case Study of Privacy Preservation in the Brave Browser," when International Journal of Intelligent Engineering and Systems, vol. 13, Issue 6, pp.294-306, 2020.
[16] A. Raza, H. T. Mehdi Hussain, M. Zeeshan, M. A. Raja and K.-H. Jung, "Forensic analysis of web browsers lifecycle: A case study," Journal of Information Security and Applications, vol. 85, Issue 103839, pp. 1-10, 2024.
[17] H. Sanghvi, D. Rathod, P. Shukla, R. Shah, and Y. Zala, "Web browser forensics: Mozilla Firefox," International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, vol. 16, Issue 4, pp. 397-423, 2024.
[18] K. Hughes, P. Papadopoulos, N. Pitropakis, A. Smales, J. Ahmad and W. J. Buchanan, "Browsers’ Private Mode: Is It What We Were Promised?," Computers, vol. 10, Issue 165, pp. 1-20, 2021.
[19] S. Dija, J. Ajana, V. Indu and M. Sabarinath, "Web Browser Forensics for Retrieving Searched Keywords on the Internet," in 2021 3rd International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication Control and Networking (ICAC3N), Greater Noida, India, 2021.
[20] H. Fayyad-Kazan, S. Kassem-Moussa, H. J. Hejase, and A. J. Hejase, "Forensic analysis of private browsing mechanisms: Tracing Internet activities," Journal of Forensic Science and Research, vol. 5, pp. 012-019, 2021.
[21] G. B. Akintola and P. V. Falade, "Evaluating the Performances of Digital Data Transmission Links on a Client-Server Network Model," International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science and Engineering, vol. 12, no. Issue 2, pp.53-66, 2024.
[22] Oberlo, "Most Popular Web Browsers in 2024," Oberlo, 1 August 2024.
[23] K. Gautam, A. Verma and A. Vyas, "An Overview of Age Estimation in Forensic Science: Based on Techniques," International Journal of Scientific Research in Multidisciplinary Studies, vol. 1, no. Issue 4, pp. 1-11, 2023.
[24] N. Ivan, B. Felix, I. f. Agatha and A. Joshua, "THE ADVANCED LIVE DIGITAL EVIDENCE ACQUISITION," Global Scientific Journal, vol. 12, Issue 2, pp. 287-326, 2024.
[25] F. Foxton, "Browser History Examiner," Fxoton software, 1 October 2024.
[26] Nirsoft, "Nirsoft," Nir Softer, 02 October 2024.
[27] V. R. K. Kolla, "A Comparative Analysis of OS Forensics Tools," International Journal of Research in IT and Management (IJRIM), Vol.12, Issue.4, pp.1-14, 2022.
[28] M. Rodriguez, "Exploring the Landscape of Operating System Forensics: An In-Depth Evaluation," International Journal of Creative Research in Computer Technology and Design, Vol.5, Issue.5, pp.1-13, 2023.
[29] D. J. Leith, "Web Browser Privacy: What Do Browsers Say When They Phone Home?," IEEE ACCESS, Vol.1, Issue.1, pp.1-12, 2021.
[30] P. Chikkagalagali, A. S. Shirodkar, Gauri, Siddharth, and P. Patil, "Scene Understanding in a Web Browser," in 2024 5th International Conference for Emerging Technology (INCET), Belgaum, India, 2024.
[31] Findlay, "A review of thumbnail images artifacts in the Linux desktop and a methodology to add provenance to deleted files, using the thumbnail images artifact in combination with recent files history, and Trash artifacts," Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation, Vol.44, Issue.301498, pp.1-9, 2023.
[32] J. Kävrestad, M. B. and N. Clarke, "Autopsy Forensics," in In: Fundamentals of Digital Forensics, Cham, Springer, 2024.
[33] H. Adamu, A. A. Ahmad, A. Hassan and S. B. Gambasha, "Web Browser Forensic Tools: Autopsy, BHE," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS), Vol.6, Issue.6, pp.56-61, 2021.
[34] K. G. Majeti, Y. S. Sundar, S. S. Ulichi, S. N. Mohanty and S. SV, "Digital Forensic Advanced Evidence Collection and Analysis of Web Browser Activity," EAI Endorsed Transactions on Scalable Information Systems, Vol.1, Isssue.1, pp.1-8, 2023.
[35] M. Alotibi, S. Y. Altaleedi, T. Zia and E. U. H. Qazi, "Examining the Behavior of Web Browsers Using Popular Forensic Tools," International Journal of Digital Crime and Forensics, Vol.16, Issue.1, pp.1-22, 2024.
[36] H. Sanghvi and D. Rathod, "Google Chrome forensics," International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, Vol.15, Issue.6, pp.591-619, 2023.