Ontology for Reactive Techniques in Digital Forensics

Techniques applied in response to detrimental digital incidents vary in many respects according to their attributes. Models of techniques exist in current research but are typically restricted to some subset with regards to the discipline of the incident. An enormous collection of techniques is actually available for use. There is no single model representing all these techniques. There is no current categorisation of digital forensics reactive techniques that classify techniques according to the attribute of function and nor is there an attempt to classify techniques in a means that goes beyond a subset. In this paper, an ontology that depicts digital forensic reactive techniques classified by function is presented. The ontology itself contains additional information for each technique useful for merging into a cognate system where the relationship between techniques and other facets of the digital investigative process can be defined. A number of existing techniques were collected and described according to their function - a verb. The function then guided the placement and classification of the techniques in the ontology according to the ontology development process. The ontology contributes to a knowledge base for digital forensics - essentially useful as a resource for the various people operating in the field of digital forensics. The benefit of this that the information can be queried, assumptions can be made explicit, and there is a one-stop-shop for digital forensics reactive techniques with their place in the investigation detailed.