Digital Forensic Investigation of Healthcare Data in Cloud Computing Environment

Area of Science:

• Digital Forensics
• Cloud Computing Security
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Cloud computing adoption is increasing in healthcare due to cost and data analysis benefits.
• Security and forensic challenges arise from sensitive health data stored in cloud environments.
• iCloud services synchronize data across Apple devices, generating critical forensic artifacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a searchable taxonomy of forensic tools for iCloud.
• To identify and analyze forensic artifacts related to healthcare data stored on iCloud via MacBook systems.
• To create a GUI-based dashboard for streamlined iCloud forensics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and tool analysis to create an iCloud forensic tool taxonomy.
• Case study involving healthcare data on iCloud, focusing on artifact extraction from MacBook systems.
• Development of a graphical user interface (GUI) dashboard for artifact collection.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive taxonomy of iCloud forensic tools was established.
• Key artifacts including environmental information, browser activity, synchronization logs, and user activities were identified on MacBook systems.
• A functional GUI dashboard was developed to aid in iCloud forensic investigations.

Conclusions:

• The developed taxonomy and GUI dashboard enhance forensic practitioners' ability to investigate iCloud data, particularly in healthcare.
• Understanding artifact locations and types is crucial for digital investigations involving cloud services like iCloud.
• This research supports secure and effective digital forensics for sensitive data in cloud environments.