Malware Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Code

by Eoghan Casey BS, MA, Cameron H. Malin JD, CISSP, James M. Aquilina

Overview

Malware Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Code covers the complete process of responding to a malicious code incident. Written by authors who have investigated and prosecuted federal malware cases, this book deals with the emerging and evolving field of live forensics, where investigators examine a computer system to collect and preserve critical live data that may be lost if the system is shut down. Unlike other forensic texts that discuss live forensics on a particular operating system, or in a generic context, this book emphasizes a live forensics and evidence collection methodology on both Windows and Linux operating systems in the context of identifying and capturing malicious code and evidence of its effect on the compromised system. It is the first book detailing how to perform live forensic techniques on malicious code.

The book gives deep coverage on the tools and techniques of conducting runtime behavioral malware analysis (such as file, registry, network and port monitoring) and static code analysis (such as file identification and profiling, strings discovery, armoring/packing detection, disassembling, debugging), and more. It explores over 150 different tools for malware incident response and analysis, including forensic tools for preserving and analyzing computer memory. Readers from all educational and technical backgrounds will benefit from the clear and concise explanations of the applicable legal case law and statutes covered in every chapter. In addition to the technical topics discussed, this book also offers critical legal considerations addressing the legal ramifications and requirements governing the subject matter.

This book is intended for system administrators, information security professionals, network personnel, forensic examiners, attorneys, and law enforcement working with the inner-workings of computer memory and malicious code.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597492683
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	06/30/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	592
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

Eoghan Casey is an internationally recognized expert in data breach investigations and information security forensics. He is founding partner of CASEITE.com, and co-manages the Risk Prevention and Response business unit at DFLabs. Over the past decade, he has consulted with many attorneys, agencies, and police departments in the United States, South America, and Europe on a wide range of digital investigations, including fraud, violent crimes, identity theft, and on-line criminal activity. Eoghan has helped organizations investigate and manage security breaches, including network intrusions with international scope. He has delivered expert testimony in civil and criminal cases, and has submitted expert reports and prepared trial exhibits for computer forensic and cyber-crime cases.

In addition to his casework and writing the foundational book Digital Evidence and Computer Crime, Eoghan has worked as R&D Team Lead in the Defense Cyber Crime Institute (DCCI) at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) helping enhance their operational capabilities and develop new techniques and tools. He also teaches graduate students at Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute and created the Mobile Device Forensics course taught worldwide through the SANS Institute. He has delivered keynotes and taught workshops around the globe on various topics related to data breach investigation, digital forensics and cyber security.

Eoghan has performed thousands of forensic acquisitions and examinations, including Windows and UNIX systems, Enterprise servers, smart phones, cell phones, network logs, backup tapes, and database systems. He also has information security experience, as an Information Security Officer at Yale University and in subsequent consulting work. He has performed vulnerability assessments, deployed and maintained intrusion detection systems, firewalls and public key infrastructures, and developed policies, procedures, and educational programs for a variety of organizations. Eoghan has authored advanced technical books in his areas of expertise that are used by practitioners and universities around the world, and he is Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier's International Journal of Digital Investigation.

Cameron H. Malin is a Behavioral Profiler with over 20 years of experience investigating, analyzing and profiling cyber adversaries across the spectrum of criminal to national security. He is the founder of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit’s (BAU) Cyber Behavioral Analysis Center (CBAC) and the longest serving FBI Cyber Profiler. He is a co-author of the authoritative cyber deception book, Deception in the Digital Age: Exploiting and Defending Human Targets Through Computer-Mediated Communications (published by Academic Press, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.) and co-author of the Malware Forensics book series: Malware Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Code, Malware Forensics Field Guide for Windows Systems, and Malware Forensics Field Guide for Linux Systems (all published by Syngress, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.). Cameron is the creator of Digital Behavioral Criminalistics – a combined application of numerous forensic disciplines—digital forensics, criminalistics, and behavioral sciences—to meaningfully uncovering offender thoughts and actions in digital artifacts—as well as the Cyber Pathway to Intended Violence (CPIV)—a model for assessing violent offenders who have engaged computer systems, devices, and/or online resources before, during, and/or after a premeditated, violent act. These important emerging topics were published in his book chapter Digital Behavioral Criminalistics to Elucidate the Cyber Pathway to Intended Violence in the International Handbook of Threat Assessment, 2nd Edition (Oxford University Press, 2021). Prior to working for the FBI, Cameron was an Assistant State Attorney (ASA) and Special Assistant United States Attorney in Miami, Florida, where he specialized in computer crime prosecutions. During his tenure as an ASA, he was also an Assistant Professorial Lecturer in the Computer Fraud Investigations Master’s Program at George Washington University.

James M. Aquilina, Esq. is the Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel of Stroz Friedberg, LLC, a consulting and technical services firm specializing in computer forensics; cyber-crime response; private investigations; and the preservation, analysis and production of electronic data from single hard drives to complex corporate networks. As the head of the Los Angeles Office, Mr. Aquilina supervises and conducts digital forensics and cyber-crime investigations and oversees large digital evidence projects. Mr. Aquilina also consults on the technical and strategic aspects of anti-piracy, antispyware, and digital rights management (DRM) initiatives for the media and entertainment industries, providing strategic thinking, software assurance, testing of beta products, investigative assistance, and advice on whether the technical components of the initiatives implicate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and anti-spyware and consumer fraud legislation. His deep knowledge of botnets, distributed denial of service attacks, and other automated cyber-intrusions enables him to provide companies with advice to bolster their infrastructure protection.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1:Malware Incident Response: Volatile Data Collection and Examination on a Live Windows System
Chapter 2:Malware Incident Response: Volatile Data Collection and Examination on a Live Linux System
Chapter 3:Memory Forensics: Analyzing Physical and Process Memory Dumps for Malware Artifacts
Chapter 4:Post-Mortem Forensics: Discovering and Extracting Malware and Associated Artifacts from Windows Systems
Chapter 5:Post-Mortem Forensics: Discovering and Extracting Malware and Associated Artifacts from Linux Systems
Chapter 6:Legal Considerations
Chapter 7:File Identification and Profiling: Initial Analysis of a Suspect File on a Windows System
Chapter 8:File Identification and Profiling: Initial Analysis of a Suspect File On a Linux System
Chapter 9:Analysis of a Suspect Program: Windows
Chapter 10:Analysis of a Suspect Program: Linux
Index

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From the Publisher

Details the complete process of responding to a malicious code incident