Security Basics mailing list archives
RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use
From: "George Lantz" <glantz () mostlymemories com>
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:18:18 -0500
The easiest way, if you have access, is to view the logs of your proxy server. They can tell you exactly where the user visited and at what times. The second step I would take is to do some digging on the user's computer. Assuming this is a windows machine and the user is using IE, a good place to start would be to view the index.dat files and find a list of sites the user has visited. Index.dat files store information on file access, cookies and visited sites and are somewhat complicated to clear/remove for the average user. However, if you are not using IE it does not log to the index.dat. Use an index.dat viewer such as Index Dat Spy, or search for one on google, there are many. If that does not work there are some other techniques and programs to investigate this type of thing. Look to the forums or search online. We went through this before at our company a few years ago. Make sure you consider whether the visitations where accidental or not. Does the user share the computer with others (Multi-user login)? Was the illegal activity caused by accident, such as spam, malware (spyware/adware) or popups? Just consider everything before making any accusations. Be sure you have adequate proof. We almost had legal problems. George Lantz www.georgelantz.com -----Original Message----- From: Edmond Chow [mailto:echow () gettechnologies com] Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 6:23 PM To: security-basics () securityfocus com Cc: Edmond Chow Subject: RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Dear List, I'm working on the following project and would appreciate your views: I have been tasked with finding out if a certain desktop computer was used to view pornographic sites on the internet. This user has gone to great lengths to try to mask his illegal activities by erasing cookies, temp. files and by installing anti-spyware software on his computer. Are there any tools that would allow me to still uncover proof that he had accessed these sites? So far, the tech department is telling me that he did access illegal sites on only two dates but I suspect that this illegal activity started many months or years ago and it will be up to me to find more proof. Also, at a network level, we know his IP address but yet my technical support department is telling me that they cannot (either because they don't want to or because they are not technically capable of) tell me what internet sites this IP address has accessed in the past. Logically, there must be a point in the network (on some piece of hardware) where I can consult log files to track his activities? Or, is there a log file that I can consult that will tell me what sites all my users have accessed and from what IP address? In terms of access to the desktop in question, I will have full access as the computer will be in my possession in the coming days. Thank-you and any help that you can provide would be most appreciated. Regards, Edmond
Current thread:
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use, (continued)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Edmond Chow (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Joel A. Folkerts (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Subscription (Aug 30)
- Re: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Frankie Li (Aug 30)
- Re: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use James Leighe (Aug 30)
- Re: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use dallas jordan (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Eduardo Suzuki (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Jonathan Loh (Aug 30)
- Re: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Steve Hillier (Aug 30)
- Re: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use Steven Kalcevich (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use George Lantz (Aug 30)
- RE: Computer forensics to uncover illegal internet use David Gillett (Aug 30)
- RE: Outlook Security Ramki B (Aug 26)