User Profiling Using the Windows Registry

In this chapter, we will be using the knowledge of the Windows Registry from the previous chapter to profile user activity.

As forensic examiners, we face cases in which we need to investigate user activity and profile it based on available evidence. In this chapter, we will learn more about initiating investigations and gathering information related to users by diving into the Windows Registry.

We will cover the following main topics in this chapter:

• Profiling system details
• Profiling user activities

We will conclude the chapter with a short section of exercises.

Profiling system details

Forensic profiling refers to the process of identifying and analyzing information that can help to create a detailed profile of a specific individual or group. In the context of digital forensics, forensic profiling involves using various methods and tools to gather information about the system or device under investigation. This can include information about the hardware and software configurations, system settings, installed applications, network settings, user accounts, and other relevant data.

Forensic profiling is important for digital forensic analysts because it can help to establish a baseline of normal system behavior and identify any anomalies or suspicious activities. By understanding the system’s profile, analysts can also identify potential sources of evidence and determine which areas of the system to focus on during an investigation.

It is important for forensic analysts to profile system details using the Windows Registry because...

Profiling user activities

HKCU is a registry hive in the Windows Registry that stores user-specific settings and configurations for the currently logged-in user. It contains preferences, user environment variables, application settings, and other data related to the user’s activities on the system.

During user profiling, analyzing the HKCU hive can provide insight into the user’s behavior, habits, and preferences. By examining the hive, forensic analysts can determine the applications used by the user, the files accessed, the network connections established, and the system settings modified.

The HKCU hive contains subkeys for various software applications that have been installed or configured for the user. The subkeys store settings and preferences specific to each application, which can help forensic analysts determine the activities of the user. For example, the RecentDocs subkey stores a list of recently accessed files, while the Run subkey stores a list of...

User profiling using Windows Registry exercises

In this part, we will apply what we have learned so far. Try to work on the following exercises:

1. Perform an investigation on an MRU Office document for your own system.
2. Analyze the RecentDocs key for your own system.
3. Identify the command line executed using registry hives.

Summary

In this chapter, we explained the importance of profiling system details using the Windows Registry, such as identifying the Windows OS version, current control set, computer name, and time zone. We also covered investigating installed applications, network interfaces, historical network connections, user activities, shutdown information, and more.

We explored how to analyze Windows Registry data using tools such as Registry Explorer and how to extract information from specific registry keys, including RecentDocs, TypedPaths, and TypedURLs. By analyzing the Windows Registry, forensic analysts can determine system and user activity, identify potential security breaches, and create a timeline of events that can be used as evidence in legal proceedings.

In the next chapter, we will cover application execution artifacts, which is an important concept to understand for forensic analysts.