10 Best Digital Forensic Investigation Tools – 2024
In the area of digital forensics, digital forensic tools are specialized pieces of software and hardware used to look into and analyze data from digital devices like computers, cell phones, and network servers.
Forensics’s history has evolved over the decades in different branches of forensic science. It has become a very crucial part of enforcement activities throughout the globe.
Here, we have listed some of the most critical 10 digital forensic tools that help fight against cybercrime and protect digital assets.
In the current scenario, due to the internet and advanced globalization, crime has a different form.
It is also necessary that, for the conviction of the perpetrator, you gather evidence.
In this situation, digital forensic tools will help investigate the crucial piece through the electronic device so that the guilty can be behind bars and the court of law can make the correct decision.
Usually, digital forensics is the process of identification, extraction, preservation, documentation, etc.
The court is using all of these. Here, you will find many tools that will help you make this investigation simple and easy.
These will also provide complete reports that can be used for legal procedures.
Table of Contents
What are forensic Tools?
What is the basis of forensic investigation?
Why is forensic investigation important?
10 Free Forensic Investigation Tools
What are the forensic tools in cybersecurity?
10 Free Forensic Investigation Tools Features
1. Sleuth Kit (+Autopsy)
2. Forensic Investigator
3. Autopsy
4. Dumpzilla
5. X-Ways Forensics
6. Toolsley
7. Browser History
8. CAINE
9. FTK Imager
10. ExifTool
Final Thoughts – Free Forensic Investigation Tools
FAQ
Also Read
What are Digital Forensic Tools?
Digital forensic tools are specialized pieces of software and hardware that are made to help with the study and analysis of digital data and devices.
These tools are necessary to get electronic proof from computers, smartphones, networks, and cloud storage, as well as to analyze it, keep it safe, and show it.
Forensic experts can use them to do many things, such as get back deleted files, look at system logs, look at internet records, and access protected data. Digital forensic tools are very important for law enforcement and cybersecurity because they help with crime cases, making sure businesses follow the rules, and responding to data breaches.
They are designed to handle data in a way that keeps its purity and lets it be used in court. This makes sure that the evidence stays true and reliable for cases. They are very important in a world where digital proof is important in both criminal and civil cases because of their advanced features.
What is the basis of a Digital Forensic Investigation?
Digital forensic investigations use systematic and rigorous study of digital data to find criminal, civil, or business facts and insights.
This method begins with the safe collection of digital data from computers, mobile devices, and network servers to preserve evidence without change or harm. For evidence integrity, the chain of custody must document every encounter with the evidence. Specialized digital forensic tools analyze the material after collection.
These technologies let investigators retrieve deleted files, examine system logs, decrypt data, and analyze data patterns to recreate events or user behaviors.
The final objective is to create a true digital narrative of what happened. This story is then thoroughly documented and presented, typically in court settings where accuracy and legal requirements are crucial for admissibility.
To maintain credibility and validity, ethical concerns and conformity with relevant laws and regulations are essential throughout the inquiry.
Why is a Forensic Investigation Important?
Digital forensic analysis is important because it finds and makes sense of electronic data, which is very important in the digital world we live in now where most things are kept electronically.
This kind of research helps solve crimes that involve computers, smartphones, and networks by gathering important proof that can be used in court.
It’s especially important for fighting hacking, identity theft, and getting into people’s data without permission. Digital forensics is also very important in the business world, where it helps look into data leaks, internal fraud, and making sure that data security rules are followed.
This field helps make complicated cases clearer by looking at digital proof. This keeps justice and safety in a society that is becoming more and more digital.
What are the forensic tools in cybersecurity?
Hardware and software alike, digital forensics technologies are used to preserve data and essential systems, as well as recover digital proof of cyberattacks.
Digital forensic technologies are essential for cybercrime investigation and mitigation. Advanced software can evaluate vast amounts of data, and specialist hardware can access and examine diverse digital media.
Disk and data recovery programs recover data from damaged or destroyed hard drives, network forensic tools analyze network traffic to detect malicious activity, and mobile forensic tools extract data from smartphones and tablets.
Memory forensics tools investigate system memory for malware or hacking, while live forensics tools examine systems without affecting operation.
These technologies assist companies comprehend a breach, attacker techniques, and response strategies by putting together hackers’ digital tracks. Legal processes benefit from their documented cyberattack proof, assuring compliance with legislation and advancing justice.
10 Best Digital Forensic Tools in 2024
Sleuth Kit (+Autopsy)
Forensic Investigator
Autopsy
Dumpzilla
X-Ways Forensics
Toolsley
Browse History
CAINE
FTk Images
ExifTool
Digital Forensic Tools Features
10 Digital Forensic ToolsFeatures1. Sleuth Kit (+Autopsy)1. File system analysis
2. Keyword search
3. File carving
4. Metadata analysis2. Forensic Investigator1. Scientific Knowledge
2. Attention to Detail
3. Analytical Skills
4. Communication Skills3. Autopsy1. Post-mortem examination
2. Forensic pathology
3. External examination
4. Internal examination4. Dumpzilla1. Data extraction
2. Forensic analysis
3. Web browser artifacts
4. Internet history5. X-Ways Forensics1. Images and copies of disks
2. Examining the File System
3. Searching for Keywords
4. Analysis of the Registry and Artifacts
5. A look at the timeline6. Toolsley1. Images and copies of disks
2. Examining the File System
3. Searching for Keywords
4. Examining the Registry
5. A look at the timeline7. Browser History1. Looking at Session Information
2. History Leaving
3. Different ways to search and sort
4. Length of Visit
5. Details about the last visit8. CAINE1. Linux-based OS
2. Forensic tools
3. Live analysis
4. Data imaging9. FTK Imager1. Details about the volume and files
2. Having fun
3. Examining the Windows Registry
4. Easy to Use Interface
5. No Cost to Use10. ExifTool1. Different Output Options
2. Help with Geotagging
3. Remove Embedded Thumbnails
4. Changes to the date and time
5. Cross-Platform Support
Sleuth Kit (+Autopsy)
This best utility tool makes forensic analysis much easier for the computer system.
The smartphone or computer’s hard drive with the most intuitive user interface will be analyzed.
The email analysis and the ability to search within the file for relevant documents and photographs are included.
Seeing a little version of each image, known as a thumbnail, is also helpful.
The user can assign whatever tag name they like to the file.
Messages, phone records, contacts, and more can all be mined for information.
Marking the file or folder with a specific designation based on its name is also helpful.
Features
The two tools let you see file systems on storage media and get back and look at files that have been removed or hidden.
Look for certain words or trends in digital proof to find the correct information.
To help you figure out what happened, schedule what happened with files and the system.
You can get back files even if the file system structures are broken or lost by “carving” them into pieces of data.
Windows registries and system leftovers are good places to look for important info.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Open-Source and FreeCustomization and Advanced FeaturesCross-Platform CompatibilityLack of User-Friendly InterfaceExtensive File System SupportRobust File Analysis Capabilities
Demo video
Price
you can get a free demo and a personalized demo from here…
Sleuth Kit (+Autopsy) – Trial / Demo
Forensic Investigator
If the user is using Splunk, then the Forensic Investigator will wonder which can be a very convenient tool for the user.
Since this is a handy app and many other tools are included Ping, Banner grabber, port scanner, SNB Share, NetBIOS viewer, ping, Virus Total lookup, URL decoder/parser, XOR/HEX/Base64 converter, etc.
Features
Making duplicates (disk images) of data storage devices to protect the originals while doing a forensic investigation.
Filesystem analysis to retrieve data such as files, meta-data, and folders.
This entails classifying files and reviewing their modification times, permissions, and metadata.
Using metadata, unallocated space, or file content to find a particular piece of information
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Solving CrimesExposure to Traumatic MaterialIntellectual ChallengeIrregular and Demanding HoursVariety of SpecializationsContinuous Learning
Demo video
Price
you can get a free demo and a personalized demo from here…
Forensic Investigator – Trial / Demo
Autopsy
Only cellphones and hard drives can be adequately studied by this open-source digital forensics application, but it has one of the best graphical user interfaces available.
Many people all throughout the world use autopsies to figure out what’s wrong with their computers.
Regarding autopsies, the end-to-end platform with pre-packaged, ready-to-use modules is where it’s at.
Only a few modules weaken STIX to supply features like time series analysis, data carving, keyword searching, and indicator output.
Features
Autopsy makes forensic disk images of storage devices without changing their data.
Autopsy lets investigators look through file structures, information, and file types.
Autopsy can look for keywords or patterns in file text, metadata, and free space.
The timeline view in Autopsy lets investigators look at and judge events in order using metadata from the file system, timestamps, and human activity.
What is Good?What Could Be Better ?Open-Source and FreeSteeper Learning CurveComprehensive AnalysisLimited Advanced Analysis FeaturesUser-Friendly InterfaceExtensive File System Support
Demo video
Price
you can get a free demo and a personalized demo from here…
Autopsy – Trial / Demo
Another excellent forensic tool created in Python 3. x is Dumpzilla.
Only a few browsers, including Iceweasel, Firefox, and Seamonkey, are compatible with its methods of extracting all the required and useful data.
You may get it for free on Linux, Windows, or Mac.
You can use grep, cut, sed, awk, etc., with the command line interface to dump and reroute to the pipes.
Add-ons, cookies, bookmarks, history, passwords, downloads, form fill-in data, and much more may all be retrieved with this level of functionality.
The data you collect can be exported to a JSON file or a text file.
If you need more specific filtering, you can utilize wildcards and regular expressions efficiently.
Features
Forensic investigators may extract Mozilla Firefox browsing history, bookmarks, cookies, downloads, form data, saved passwords, and more with Dumpzilla.
Dumpzilla parses and extracts Firefox SQLite data.
The GUI makes Dumpzilla easy for investigators who aren’t command-line experts.
Investigators can filter and search Dumpzilla to find specific data.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Investigative ToolCross-Device LimitationsCorroborating EvidenceIncomplete or Deleted HistoryIntelligence GatheringParental Monitoring
X-Ways Forensics
In computer forensics, this is one of the many Digital Forensic Tools available.
These X-Ways can be a backup drive when copying or scanning large files.
You can also work together with others using this method, but everyone involved must have access to the software.
This program can read the partitioning and structure from an a.dd image file.
You have an entire disk and RAID access as the owner of this software.
When it comes to detection, this instrument can pick up on both New Technology File Systems (NTFS) and Alternate Data Streams (ADS).
This program can examine remote computers, and it supports bookmarks and annotations.
Users using templates may see binary data; users can also add security to ensure the data’s authenticity.
Features
With X-Ways Forensics, forensic analysts can make disk images of storage media and look at them.
Using advanced file carving, the program can get back deleted files or pieces of files from free space or damaged disk sectors.
X-Ways Forensics has powerful phrase search and filtering tools to find specific information in disk images or files.
The software looks at metadata, timestamps, and human actions in the file system.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Comprehensive Feature SetLimited Mac OS SupportEfficiency and SpeedLearning CurveDeep File System AnalysisAdvanced Carving and Recovery
Demo video
Price1
Toolsley
This tool is so popular that it includes ten helpful tools for investigations like File identifier, file signature verifier, Binary inspector, hash and validate, encode the text, data URI generator, binary inspector, and password generator.
Demo video
price
You can get a free trial and personalized demo from here.
Toolsley –Trial / Demo
Browser History
This is one form of Digital Forensic Tools that scans the data history from multiple web browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, etc.
All of these show the user’s past actions in the single web browser on the desk.
Title, browser type, user profile, URLs visited, total pageviews, and more can all be found in the browsing history table.
Viewing the user’s browsing history is essential for the system to function correctly.
It also collects the browser history from the external hard disk.
The output is always presented as a filterable, interactive graph and historical data.
Features
Records of websites visited by the user.
The specific web addresses accessed.
Timestamps indicate when websites were visited.
Titles of the web pages visited.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Retrieval of Visited WebsitesIncomplete or Deleted HistoryEnhanced User ExperienceTracking and Targeted AdvertisingImproved NavigationResearch and Reference
Demo video
Price
You can get a free trial and personalized demo from here…
Browser History – Trial / Demo
CAINE
CAINE is an Ubuntu-based program that provides a comprehensive forensic environment with a graphical user interface.
As a module, this program is always combined with the previous one.
The chronology is automatically read out of RAM as well.
A digital investigator is included in this package, as are the four steps of digital inquiry.
The CAINE features are highly adaptable because of the software’s adaptable interface and various user-friendly tools are available.
Features
It takes forensic photos of storage media while keeping the integrity of the data.
Investigators can use CAINE’s file system to look through file structures, look at metadata, and get back files that have been removed or hidden.
It includes phrase searching, hash computation, file analysis, network analysis, memory forensics, and more, which are all open source.
CAINE uses memory forensics data to examine system volatile memory (RAM).
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Comprehensive Forensic ToolsLimited Commercial Tool SupportOpen-Source and FreeLimited Vendor SupportLinux-based EnvironmentUser-Friendly Interface
Demo video
FTK Imager
Using the FTK Imager Digital Forensic Tools, you can simulate the forensically sound data acquisition process before actually using the instrument.
Data is copied without modification, and every effort is made to retain the originals.
It records disk images in pieces or as a single file, which can be pieced back together.
The MD5 hash value is computed, and data integrity is also verified.
For identifying cybercrime, it gives a wizard-driven technique.
With this program, you can see things more clearly, and it can crack the passwords for 100 different programs.
It has a built-in data analysis tool that can handle reusable profiles for various probes with ease.
Features
Forensic analysts can use FTK Imager to make images of hard drives, USB drives, and disk partitions.
FTK Imager can grab live RAM from computers that are already running.
FTK Imager comes with tools for analyzing disk images and files.
People who are investigating can use FTK Imager to look for terms or file types in disk images or files.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Imaging CapabilitiesLimited Advanced Analysis FeaturesIntuitive User InterfaceProprietary Format CompatibilityVerification and Integrity ChecksLive Memory Acquisition
Demo video
ExifTool
One of the most excellent command-line interface tools for working with file-specific metadata is called ExifTool.
This facilitates the reading of various image file formats, including GPS, IPTC, JFIF, Photoshop IRB, FlashPix, GeoTIFF, and so on.
It is compatible with the metadata of many digital cameras, including those from Canon, Casio, DJI, FLIR, FujiFilm, GE, GoPro, HP, JVC/Victor, Kodak, Leaf, Minolta/Konica-Minolta, Motorola, Nikon, Nintendo, Ricoh, Sanyo, Sigma/Foveon, and Sony.
Features
Some of the file types that it can work with are JPEG, TIFF, PNG, MP3, WAV, AVI, MOV, and PDF.
ExifTool can write and change metadata in file types that it supports.
You can change information or get data from many files at once with ExifTool’s batch processing.
This lets you find and filter based on metadata.
What is Good?What Could Be Better?Extensive File Format SupportCommand-Line InterfaceComprehensive Metadata ExtractionLimited Error HandlingFlexibility and CustomizationLack of Real-Time FeedbackCross-Platform Compatibility
Demo video
Final Thoughts – Digital Forensic Investigation Tools
We hope this tool can help you handle Cybersecurity incidents more effectively and make the investigation process faster.
If you are new to forensic investigation, then you can check out these above courses.
If you want to learn more about forensic tools, the gbhackers.com published a list of Digital Forensic Tools.
FAQ
Who uses forensic investigation tools?
Law enforcement, cybersecurity, digital forensic analysts, business investigators, and other digital media investigators use these technologies.
Can forensic tools recover deleted data?
Many forensic programs can recover deleted files and other data. They can usually recover data from storage medium fragments, but it depends on the file system and the time since deletion.
How do I choose the right forensic investigation tool?
Tool selection relies on case needs, device types, investigator expertise, and money. Consider the tool’s data volume capacity and compatibility with other investigation tools and technologies.
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