Section B: use of biometric methods with special reference to personal identification

Here are few articles relating to the topic of Biometrics which will be useful for you to prepare notes as well as preparing for exams.

Multibiometrics
Evolution and Biometry
Biometrics
Biometrics II
Intro to Biometrics
123 of biometric technology


I hope all these helps you
Cheers

Image Processing contd....

Here is a very good article (for your computer forensics notes) regarding image processing and pattern recognition in Forensic Science (in the pdf format)

Here, just click the link and give some time to load, please
ARTICLE

Pl enjoy for the week
Cheers

Image processing

This week we will be starting series on topic of Forensic Image Processing, We start with a brief overview of all the image processing with some of the basic definitions which are very much required

Here's one basic and illustrative article regarding image processing by FBI (bit old but good one)

Guidelines in use of Digital Image processing

Informative article regarding history of forensic image processing is right here

Image processing history

If you find these one difficult to understand, pl mail me at gagandeepsingh2@gmail.com

I would be more than happy to help!

More coming soon

 

Software Piracy

This week we discuss the topic of "Software Piracy"


Introduction
Software piracy can be defined as "copying and using commercial software purchased by someone else". Software piracy is illegal. Each pirated piece of software takes away from company profits, reducing funds for further software development initiatives.
The roots of software piracy may lie in the early 1960s, when computer programs were freely distributed with mainframe hardware by hardware manufacturers (e.g. AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank, General Electric and General Motors). In the late 1960s, manufacturers began selling their software separately from the required hardware.
Current illegal software in the US accounts for 25 - 50% of the software in use (see web sites below for further detail). Other countries often have levels of piracy well beyond that of the US. For example, Carol Bartz, the president and chairman of Autodesk, Inc (www.autodesk.com) reports that one of their flagship products, AutoCAD, has 90% of the computer-aided design (CAD) market in China, yet sales are virtually negligible due to the widespread acceptance of software piracy. A number of annotated web sites at the end of this document contain information regarding estimates of software piracy throughout the world. Bartz also states that many software companies are reluctant to pursue the educational market due to concerns that several copies of purchased software may lead to millions of copies of illegal software, produced "in the name of educating children".


Issues
As stated earlier, software piracy is illegal. Ironically, many who pirate software are fully aware of the legalities, though they are able to rationalize continuing the practice. Some have difficulty understanding the distinction between freeware, shareware and commercial software. Others believe students won't be able to take advantage of the many technology-based educational opportunities without access to unaffordable software. Since software budgeting is often inadequate, and occasional upgrade of hardware makes older versions of software obsolete after several years, some think the only "solution" to the problem is to pirate newer versions of past purchased software. Finally, some people don't believe that software piracy is truly stealing because there is no loss of a tangible product involved in the act of piracy.
Both the US government and software companies are actively involved in efforts to eliminate piracy. The two major groups of software manufacturers involved in this effort are the Software Publishers Association (http://www.spa.org) and the Business Software Alliance (http://www.bsa.org/index.html). These organizations regularly bring suit against companies involved in piracy, provide a hotline for reporting software piracy and provide web pages for online reporting of software piracy. The US government's FBI has a Computer Crime Squad (http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/t1000/153/fbiinfo.html), who has raided numerous homes and offices, confiscated computers and shutdown numerous nationwide software piracy rings over the last several years.

Here are the few links , which you will find useful for making your notes

Piracy report
Piracy doc

Here's a whole book on software piracy

Piracy exposed Full Book
For the time being enjoy!

Introduction to Computer Forensics

We will be covering whole of the computer forensics in the weeks to come. We start with a very brief introduction to computer forensics including links to various documents on the internet, which you can download very easily and study.
Computer forensics is a specialized and fast growing field of investigation. Recent years have seen the expansion of discovery from traditional paper discovery to a search of computer records. This is the result of the increasing use of computer technology combined with the belief that valuable evidence can be found on computers in addition to evidence existing in paper form.
The term “computer forensics” is associated with a relatively new class of crime. Essentially computer forensics is used to describe the study of computer and storage devices for the purposes of obtaining legal evidence. The key element is that this evidence must be capable of being used in legal proceedings.Computer forensics involves the recovery of lost, damaged, hidden or password-protected data from a computer system after the system has crashed or been effected by a virus, or because of accidental, deliberate or malicious file corruption or loss. As such, computer forensics can be described as the scientific process of preserving, identifying, extracting, documenting and interpreting data held on electronic storage media.

Some basic definitions
Electronic record : any data that is recorded or preserved on any medium in or by a computer system or other similar device, that can be read or perceived by a person or a computer system or other similar device. It includes a display, printout or other output of that data.

Computer Forensics : Computer forensics is the scientific examination and analysis of data held on, or retrieved from, computer storage media in such a way that the information can be used as evidence in a court of law.

Properties of digital evidence:
1. Digital evidence is any data stored or transmitted using a computer that supports or refutes a theory of how an offense occurred or that addresses critical elements of the offense such as intent or alibi. 2. Digital evidence is extremely fragile similar to a fingerprint.
2.Digital evidence is also “Latent” which means it can not been seen in it’s natural state, much like DNA. Any actions that can alter, damage or destroy digital evidence will be scrutinized by the courts.
3. Digital evidence is often constantly changing and can be very time
sensitive
4. Digital evidence can transcend borders with ease and speed

Types of crime involving digital evidence
• Types of crimes that may involve digital evidence
• Online auction fraud
• Child exploitation/Abuse
• Computer Intrusion
• Homicide
• Domestic Violence
• Economic Fraud, Counterfeiting
• Threats, Harassment, Stalking
• Extortion
• Gambling
• Identity Theft
• Narcotics
• Prostitution
• Software Piracy
• Telecom Fraud

Types of investigations
• Internal: no search warrant or subpoena needed, quickest investigation
   – Corporate investigation that involves IT administrator reviewing documents that they should not be
       viewing.
• Civil: other side may own the data, may need subpoena
   – One party sues another over ownership of intellectual property, must acquire and authenticate digital
       evidence so it can be submitted in court.
• Criminal: highest stakes, accuracy and documentation must be of highest quality, slowest moving
    – Child porn investigation that involves possession and distribution of contraband.

Here are few links, from which you can download the brief introduction to computer forensics, from which you can get idea and save them for your notes as well

Intro 1
Intro 2 (This paper is good for adding to your introduction, which will make it very impressive)