Artifacts

Overview

Evidence: Artifacts Description: Collect Artifacts Category: System Platform: Windows Short Name: artf Is Parsed: Yes Sent to Investigation Hub: Yes Collect File(s): No

Background

System artifacts on Windows include various files, directories, and data sources that provide evidence of system activity, user behavior, and application usage. These artifacts are essential for forensic investigations as they contain valuable information about system state, user activities, and potential security incidents. The artifacts collector gathers information about predefined system artifacts that are commonly used in digital forensics investigations.

Data Collected

This collector gathers structured data about artifacts.

Artifacts Data

Field	Description	Example
ID	Primary key (auto-increment)	1
Artifact	Artifact name or identifier	Chrome History
Type	Type of artifact	Browser History
SourcePath	Original source path	C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\History
Path	Collected artifact path	/case/artifacts/chrome_history

Collection Method

This collector parses the necessary data from predefined artifact configurations and collects the specified files and directories.

Usage

This evidence is crucial for forensic investigations as it provides access to system artifacts that contain valuable forensic information. It helps investigators understand system activity, detect security incidents, and reconstruct user behavior. The data can reveal application usage, file access patterns, and system configuration details. Analysts can use this information to identify suspicious activities, trace user actions, and assess system security posture.

Notes

This data may contain sensitive information that should be handled according to data protection requirements. Ensure proper chain of custody is maintained during collection and analysis.