C2 beaconing often manifests as regular, periodic connections from a compromised host to the attacker’s server. Analyzing the statistical patterns of packet timing and size is a key method for detecting this stealthy behavior, as it looks for the underlying rhythm rather than relying on known signatures or manual inspection, which is impractical for large files.

Calculating and documenting a cryptographic hash value for both the source media and the forensic image is fundamental. This provides a digital fingerprint that proves the image is an exact, bit-for-bit copy. Any alteration to the image would change this hash, breaking the chain of custody and rendering the evidence potentially inadmissible in court.

The Windows Registry maintains extensive records of hardware interaction. The SYSTEM hive stores information in keys like USBSTOR (which records vendor, product ID, and serial numbers of USB devices) and MountedDevices (which links devices to drive letters). This artifact provides a persistent log of USB devices that have been connected, even if they are not currently present.

Volatile data in RAM (like running processes, network connections, encryption keys, and unencrypted data) is lost on power down. The priority is to capture this data before any other action that might cause its loss. Proper procedure involves photographing the screen, then using a pre-prepared, bootable USB or network tool to acquire the memory image while the system is still running.

Masquerading is a technique where malware attempts to disguise itself by using a name similar to a legitimate, trusted file or process. The slight misspelling or variation (like an extra ‘s’) is designed to trick users and analysts at a glance, hoping the malicious file will be overlooked or mistaken for a legitimate system component.

The string `1′ AND 1=1 –` is a classic SQL Injection probe. The single quote (`’`) is intended to break out of the original SQL query string, `AND 1=1` is a test to see if the query executes logically, and the double dash (`–`) is a SQL comment operator meant to nullify the rest of the original query. This is an attempt to manipulate the database.

In the FAT32 file system, the directory entry for a file contains its name, attributes, and starting cluster. Upon deletion, the OS does not erase the data; instead, it changes the first character of the filename in the directory entry to the hexadecimal value E5 (σ in some viewers). This marks the entry as available for reuse, while the cluster chain in the File Allocation Table is zeroed out.

Steganography is the art and science of concealing information within another, ordinary file or data stream. Unlike cryptography, which scrambles the content to make it unreadable, steganography aims to hide the very existence of the communication. Common carriers include image, audio, or video files where slight modifications are imperceptible to a casual observer.

This is an example of a deceptive subdomain attack. The actual domain being visited is `security-verify.net`. The `legit-bank.com` part is just a subdomain created by the attacker. Users who glance at the URL may see the familiar brand name at the beginning and mistakenly believe they are on the legitimate bank’s website, overlooking the true, malicious domain at the end.

C2 beaconing often manifests as regular, periodic connections from a compromised host to the attacker’s server. Analyzing the statistical patterns of packet timing and size is a key method for detecting this stealthy behavior, as it looks for the underlying rhythm rather than relying on known signatures or manual inspection, which is impractical for large files.0