Validation of image stream hashing: A forensic method for content verification

Area of Science:

• Digital Forensics
• Multimedia Analysis
• Information Security

Background:

• Forensic best practices mandate preserving digital image integrity during transcoding.
• Existing methods lack robust validation for detecting alterations in image streams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate an image stream hashing method for forensic image analysis.
• To identify and address limitations of the image stream hashing method.

Main Methods:

• Experimental testing of the image stream hashing method across five file types.
• Analysis of systematic errors to determine causation.
• Development and implementation of standard controls to mitigate identified limitations.

Main Results:

• Initial tests revealed significant error rates, limiting method applicability to three of five file types.
• Error causation analysis identified four key method limitations.
• Implementing proposed standard controls reduced systematic errors to a negligible level.

Conclusions:

• The image stream hashing method is viable for forensic content verification.
• Effective use requires implementing proposed standard controls for error mitigation.
• Standardized controls are crucial for maintaining data integrity in digital forensics.