EXIF, Steganography, Network Analysis and Systems Analysis

Part 1 : Exif Data Extraction.

 EXIF is created by digital cameras when you take a photo. This information is stored in the object image. To change EXIF ​​or hide data you don't want others to access, you need a tool that lets you edit and delete image metadata. I chose an image of me and my girlfriend and used the tool EXIF PILOT to extract the Exif data.

Below image shows the picture and the path from which the image was extracted from the computer's location. It shows all the details like the file size, the file type, the file creation date etc.

The other images below shows the EXIF data which enables the user to figure it out using which device the image was taken, the resolution, the software version,  the date and time, the device where the image has been store and retrieved.

Therefore, the EXIF pilot was a great tool for me to find the EXIF data of any images. EXIF data is a very important aspect in terms of cybersecurity and proves to be a very efficient tool for digital forensics.

Part 2 : Steganography

Steganography is the practice of hiding information in other words or physical objects to avoid detection. Steganography can be used to hide any type of digital content, including text, image, video or audio content. Confidential information will be removed from the website. For this test I used ncode and hide a text message within an image.

First I opened the tool and uploaded an image on the tool where I hide a message This for IT 532 as shown below in the image.

Then I used the decoder and selected the image which I wanted to  be decoded as shown below in the image.

Therefore, I received the text data hidden within the image as shown below.

Picture this: rebels planning to fight a corrupt government must work together in secret, undetected by the authorities; 

In order not to reveal their plans, they hide messages and share photos of innocent pictures of cute animals using steganography. social media accounts.  

Activists use Encode to embed messages on images they post on social media and then send the messages to their accounts. 

 Authorities tracked the posts, thinking they could use steganography to hide the messages; 

 They use special software to analyze the images to find the hidden images and cause related attacks Steganography is one of the most common skills of forensic experts. 

Although not as widely used as other techniques such as data recovery or network analysis, steganography can still provide an important means of extracting confidential information from digital media.      

Network  Analysis

For this I use Wireshark to capture the traffic on my computer from my own network. Captured packets contain source and destination information by type, protocol, and format.

The network protocol used is basically TCP and some UDP packets for additional communication such as streaming video or audio content. TCP provides reliable information between devices while UDP provides direct communication such as streaming media such as video or audio tracks. Network analytics is an important skill that can be used to identify network problems, monitor performance levels, and investigate security threats. Therefore, a good network analysis is important to ensure the performance and security of the computer network.

I can save different types of packets such as TCP, UDP, IP and ICMP packets. Their sources and purposes are easily identifiable, and most are sent from my computer and router; indicates that most of the traffic on the network occurs locally.

Part 4 - Network Analysis

As requested, I prepared a guide showing the steps I took to install it on my Windows-based computer using the command line. This includes providing an overview of the steps I took to generate the report, identifying system junk, removing unnecessary files or applications, and saving space. Also, my report includes details on how this process has improved my understanding of how to optimize in a command line format.

Generating a System Report

To generate a system report on my Windows-based PC, I opened Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + X and choosing "Command Prompt". Next, I ran:  C:\Users\lenovo\Desktop\system_report.tx This created a text file named "system_report.txt"..  

After the publication was produced, I scrutinized its contents to identify areas of my directory that could be damaged. However, I don't see such files being dumped on my computer and need to be handled properly, so I don't need to go any further.

Optimizing the system

However, the command line can be used to delete junk files or applications identified as junk for optimum performance. For example, to delete the "large_file.txt" file, run: rm /large_file.txt

Impact of optimization

By identifying and removing junk files from your system, One can free up space on your hard drive - reclaiming up to 5GB - which helps boost PC performance and performance.

Conclusion

Overall, optimizing your Windows-based PC using the command line is simple and effective. By creating a report and carefully examining its contents, I can quickly identify and remove unused space from my system and free up more space on my hard drive in the future. This experience helped me better understand how to use the command line to troubleshoot and repair tasks in future troubleshooting/fix projects.