Anti-Forensic Challenges in Digital Forensics Investigations: An Overview of Techniques and Tools

Techniques and tools have become an important part of forensic investigations, and evidence gathering in forensic cases. Most digital forensic experts use methods and tools during case investigations. At the same time, hackers and cybercriminals also use new techniques and tools called antiforensics to distract, mislead, or prolong the investigation process. This paper provides a critical overview of anti-forensic techniques such as data hiding, trail obfuscation, artifact wiping, attacks against forensic tools, and the tools used in cybercrimes. The paper demonstrates two examples, one for data hiding because it is the most common type of anti-forensic technique and the other for altering file extension which is one of the easiest ways to mislead a forensic examination. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for digital forensics examiners on how best to handle anti-forensics challenges.