On Big Data Forensic - A Case For Forensic Cloud Environment

Background The high rise in electronic devices in modern-day society has resulted in crimes in cyber-related crimes as criminals resort to hacking, illegal use of these devices. This is primarily due to perceived high rewards and low chances of being apprehended. The rise in cyber crimes poses a significant challenge to forensic investigators as now they have to process huge volumes of data from a variety of sources within a limited time. This results in investigators taking longer to process cases and in some instances missing links as they deal with data from a variety of sources. Findings In this paper, we provide a definition of big data forensics, and then we discuss the challenges associated with digital forensics investigations when dealing with big data. We provide details on how volume, variety, and velocity all pose a huge challenge in digital forensics investigations. We then discuss how a novel solution called Forensic Cloud Environment (FCE) leverages the power of Hadoop, HBase, and MapReduce to provide a solution for big data forensic challenges. Conclusion In conclusion, the fact that FCE provides an environment to store huge volumes of data from a variety of sources allows for an improved processing time of data. Hence, providing an environment for big data forensics for the future.