Digital Forensics Study of a Cloud Storage Client: A Dropbox Artifact Analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21512/commit.v13i2.5781

Keywords:

Cloud Storage, Digital Forensics, Mobile Forensics, Dropbox Analysis, Artifacts, Android-Based

Abstract

The rapid development of cloud storage technology paired with the prevalence of smartphone usage presents wide-ranging challenges for digital forensics practitioners. Data are more easily uploaded and shared between multiple devices and across multiple platforms. So, the process has increased the opportunities for criminality. Criminality undertaken in cloud computing can be directly seen on logs stored on the cloud storage server, which records user activity. However, because of user privacy protection, these logs cannot be easily used as evidence in court. This issue emphasizes the need for a reliable means of identifying, acquiring, and preserving evidential data from the client-side. This study identifies the data artifacts of a user accessing Dropbox via smartphone (Android Lollipop and Android Nougat). The data are from performing several common activities such as installing, signing up, uploading, downloading, sharing, and others. About 14 artifacts are identified by documenting the Dropbox client database changing contents as these activities are carried out. This study increases knowledge of the artifacts that are leftover by Dropbox client on Android smartphones. The results propose this comparing and analyzing method can be used by digital forensics investigators in carrying out investigations and cyberlaw practitioners as guidance in criminal cases.

Dimensions

Plum Analytics

Author Biography

Gandeva Bayu Satrya, Telkom University

Gandeva Bayu Satrya is a Ph.D in security communication for next generation networks, graduated from IT Convergence Engineering, School of Electronic Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, South Korea in December 2018. He has been a lecturer and researcher at School of Applied Science in Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia since February 2011 until now. From June 2008 to December 2010, he was a BSS Engineer at PT. ZTE Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. His areas of expertise are Android forensics, routing protocol, packet scheduling, and security communication in next generation network.

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Published

2019-10-30
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