International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN. 

A comparative study of Contemporary Cyber Forensics Tools for Digital Investigation

    , ,

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Computer Science, VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar (W), India
  • 2Department of Computer Science, VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar (W), India
  • 3Department of Computer Science, VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar (W), India

Res. J. Computer & IT Sci., Volume 14, Issue (1), Pages 18-22, June,20 (2026)

Abstract

The increasing reliance on digital systems has significantly elevated the importance of cyber forensics tools in modern investigations. This study focuses exclusively on the comparative analysis of contemporary cyber forensics tools used across various domains, including data recovery, disk imaging, steganography detection, email investigation, and comprehensive forensic analysis. Tools such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, FTK Imager, Access Data FTK, EnCase, and Autopsy are examined based on performance, usability, reliability, and investigative applicability. The study adopts a comparative framework to evaluate tool efficiency in handling digital evidence. The findings highlight that each tool serves a specialized purpose, and no single tool can address all forensic requirements effectively. The study emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate tools based on investigation needs and suggests the integration of multiple tools for enhanced forensic outcomes.

References

  1. Alsaidi, N., Alshareef, M., Alsulami, A., Alsafri, M., & Aljahdali, A. (2020)., Digital steganography in computer forensics., International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, 18(5), 54-61.
  2. Berzinji, A. (2016)., Forensic Tools For Investigating Cyber Crimes., Asian Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences, 5(3).
  3. Bilous, V., Bodnenko, D., Lokaziuk, O., Skladannyi, P., & Abramov, V. (2025)., Cyber Evidence Software as the Digital Forensics Tools in the Investigation of Cybercrime., Cybersecurity Providing in Information and Telecommunication Systems, (3991), 26-37.
  4. Dubey, H., Bhatt, S., & Negi, L. (2023)., Digital Forensics Techniques and Trends: A Review., International Arab Journal of Information Technology, 20(4).
  5. Dweikat, M., Eleyan, D., & Eleyan, A. (2021)., Digital forensic tools used in analyzing cybercrime., Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 23(3), 367-379.
  6. Fernando, V. (2021)., Cyber forensics tools: A review on mechanism and emerging challenges., In 2021 11th IFIP International Conference on New Technologies, Mobility and Security (NTMS) (pp. 1-7). IEEE.
  7. Hamad, N., & Eleyan, D. (2022)., Digital forensics tools used in cybercrime investigation-comparative analysis., Journal of Xiʼan University of Architecture & Technology, 4, 113-127.
  8. Kaur, M., Kaur, N., & Khurana, S. (2016)., A literature review on cyber forensic and its analysis tools., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering, 5(1), 23-28.
  9. Kaur, N., & Behal, S. (2014)., A Survey on various types of Steganography and Analysis of Hiding Techniques., International journal of engineering trends and technology, 11(8), 388-392.
  10. Kazaure, A. A., Jantan, A., & Yusoff, M. N. (2024)., Digital forensic investigation on social media platforms: A survey on emerging machine learning approaches., Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, 12(1), 39-59.
  11. Salih, K. M. M., & Dabagh, N. B. I. (2023)., Digital forensic tools: A literature review., Journal of Education and Science, 32(1), 109-124.
  12. Paul Joseph, D., & Norman, J. (2018)., An analysis of digital forensics in cyber security., In First International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing: AICC 2018 (pp. 701-708). Singapore: Springer Singapore.
  13. Prasanthi, B. V., Kanakam, P., & Hussain, S. M. (2017)., Cyber forensic science to diagnose digital crimes-a study., International Journal of Scientific Research in Network Security and communication, 50(2), 107-113.
  14. Prasanthi, B. V. (2016)., Cyber forensic tools: a review. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 41(5), 266-271., undefined
  15. Qureshi, S., Tunio, S., Akhtar, F., Wajahat, A., Nazir, A., & Ullah, F. (2021)., Network forensics: A comprehensive review of tools and techniques., International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 12(5).
  16. Shah, A. (2023)., Evaluating network forensics applying advanced tools., International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Management and Science, 9(4), 01-09.
  17. Vanlalsiama, B., & Jha, N. (2015)., Cyber Forensic: Introducing A New Approach to Studying Cyber Forensic and Various Tools to Prevent Cybercrimes., IITM Journal of Management and IT, 6(1), 123-128.