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Forensic Analysis of Dropbox Data Remnants on Windows 10

by Walter Buyu, Elisha Odira Abade
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International Journal of Computer Applications
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 176 - Number 41
Year of Publication: 2020
Authors: Walter Buyu, Elisha Odira Abade
10.5120/ijca2020920546

Walter Buyu, Elisha Odira Abade . Forensic Analysis of Dropbox Data Remnants on Windows 10. International Journal of Computer Applications. 176, 41 ( Jul 2020), 25-36. DOI=10.5120/ijca2020920546

@article{ 10.5120/ijca2020920546,
author = { Walter Buyu, Elisha Odira Abade },
title = { Forensic Analysis of Dropbox Data Remnants on Windows 10 },
journal = { International Journal of Computer Applications },
issue_date = { Jul 2020 },
volume = { 176 },
number = { 41 },
month = { Jul },
year = { 2020 },
issn = { 0975-8887 },
pages = { 25-36 },
numpages = {9},
url = { https://ijcaonline.org/archives/volume176/number41/31475-2020920546/ },
doi = { 10.5120/ijca2020920546 },
publisher = {Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA},
address = {New York, USA}
}
%0 Journal Article
%1 2024-02-07T00:41:02.484571+05:30
%A Walter Buyu
%A Elisha Odira Abade
%T Forensic Analysis of Dropbox Data Remnants on Windows 10
%J International Journal of Computer Applications
%@ 0975-8887
%V 176
%N 41
%P 25-36
%D 2020
%I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

Cloud storage services are popular among businesses and individuals as they offer convenience in storage and sharing of files at an affordable price. However, cloud storage is subject to abuse by cybercriminals, and coupled with the difficulty in getting artefacts of evidential value from cloud storage providers, artefacts from client computer can provide potential evidence on which a case can be based. This paper investigates artefacts left behind by Dropbox, a popular cloud storage application, on Windows 10. Through live and dead forensics, the study determines Dropbox artefacts on Windows 10 for various scenarios including installation, file upload, file deletion, and uninstallation. By identifying these remnants, this work contributes to a better understanding of the artefacts that are likely to remain for digital forensics investigators. Potential information sources identified during the research include the client software installation files, browser, link files, prefetch files, registry, and network traffic.

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Index Terms

Computer Science
Information Sciences

Keywords

Windows 10 Dropbox Forensics Dropbox Analysis Digital Forensics Computer Forensics Cloud Storage Applications.

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