Digital forensics is going through a major upheaval. The explosion of data generated by our increasingly digitized lives is outpacing the capacity of traditional investigative approaches.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a potent tool that law enforcement organizations may utilize to comb through vast amounts of digital data and find the critical pieces hidden therein.
Exterro is a leading innovator in this field, creating state-of-the-art forensic software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate investigations. Business Today had a conversation with Exterro’s CTO, Shashi Angadi, to learn more about how artificial intelligence is changing the industry, the particular difficulties it poses, and the moral issues that need to be resolved.
Leading authority on digital forensics, Angadi, provided information on how Exterro is attempting to give investigators the resources they require to successfully traverse the ever-complex realm of cybercrime.
Exterro’s technology, in particular its flagship Forensic Toolkit (FTK), is playing a crucial role in aiding investigators worldwide in combatting financial fraud and combating child exploitation. “We are honored to use our whole Exterro portfolio to support some of the biggest organizations, such as government agencies, law enforcement, businesses, and law firms,” Angadi said.
An Array of Instruments for the Digital Era
With FTK at its heart, Exterro provides an extensive toolkit for digital forensic work. The mainstay of the suite, FTK Imager, is available without charge and has established itself as a standard tool for law enforcement worldwide, enabling the production of digital storage device copies that are forensically sound. “As the most downloaded forensic software globally, it enables users to create forensic images of digital storage devices and preview content without altering the original evidence, thereby ensuring data integrity,” Angadi stated.
FTK offers a complete platform for data processing, indexing, and visualization in addition to imaging.
For instance, FTK Standalone gives investigators access to sophisticated search tools, and FTK Smart View’s user-friendly interface makes it possible to efficiently evaluate a variety of data kinds. “FTK’s processing engine significantly outperforms other tools, processing mobile data up to 15 times faster than our nearest competitor,” Angadi said, highlighting the processing engine’s strength.
AI: A Revolutionary Tool in the War on Crime
Angadi is especially excited about the part AI plays in augmenting FTK’s functionality. His main points of strength were the use of AI-driven analytics, multilingual support, and extensive training programs. “We integrate AI and machine learning for automated malware detection, pattern recognition, and predictive analytics, making it easier to identify sophisticated cyber threats and criminal behaviours,” he said.
Deepfakes and the Changing Threat Landscape: The Road Ahead
Regarding the future, Angadi emphasized that one major obstacle facing law enforcement is the emergence of deepfakes. The integrity of digital evidence is seriously threatened by the possibility of producing multimedia content that is remarkably lifelike but wholly fake.
Angadi cautioned, “[Deepfakes] threaten the integrity of digital evidence.” “Forensic tools that examine the internal organization and metadata of files are crucial in the fight against this. These solutions concentrate on the creation process of a file, guaranteeing precise content moderation and safeguarding privacy.”
Exterro is working hard to create tools to counter this ever-changing threat. “Exterro’s FTK Forensic Toolkit provides advanced multimedia analysis tools to address these challenges,” Angadi said.
