Memory acquisition: A 2-Take approach

Abstract

When more and more people recognize the value of volatile data, live forensics gains more weight in digital forensics. It is often used in parallel with traditional pull-the-plug forensics to provide a more reliable result in forensic examination. One of the core components in live forensics is the collection and analysis of memory volatile data, during which the memory content is acquired for searching of relevant evidential data or investigating various computer processes to unveil the activities being performed by a user. However, this conventional method may have weaknesses because of the volatile nature of memory data and the absence of original data for validation. This may cause implication to the admissibility of memory data at the court of law which requires strict authenticity and reliability of evidence. In this paper, we discuss the impact of various memory acquisition methods and suggest a 2-Take approach which aims to enhance the confidence level of the acquired memory data for legal proceedings. © 2009 IEEE.