Not every investigator is comfortable working from the command line. Sometimes, especially in large-scale investigations, you need a tool that provides both powerful analysis and a user-friendly interface. That’s where Autopsy shines. Originally developed by Brian Carrier as a GUI front-end for The Sleuth Kit (TSK), Autopsy has grown into a comprehensive digital forensics platform. It’s widely used by law enforcement, enterprises, and academic institutions for analyzing hard drives, mobile devices, and even cloud data.
How It’s Used
Disk and File System Analysis
- Examine NTFS, FAT, EXT, and other file systems.
- Recover deleted files, hidden partitions, and remnants of unallocated space.
Keyword & Hash Searches
- Scan for specific strings (e.g., email addresses, credit card numbers).
- Match against hash sets to quickly identify known files (malware, contraband, or benign system files).
Timeline Analysis
- Build chronological views of file system events (creation, modification, access).
- Helps reconstruct attacker or suspect activity.
Web & Email Artifact Parsing
- Extract browser history, cookies, and cached content.
- Parse email databases for correspondence analysis.
Mobile Device Forensics
- Supports Android and iOS analysis (limited but growing).
Reporting
- Generate detailed forensic reports for court or executive presentations.
Workflow: An examiner loads a disk image acquired with FTK Imager into Autopsy. With just a few clicks, they can run keyword searches, rebuild deleted files, and create a timeline of user activity.
Pros
- Free & Open Source – Supported by Basis Technology and widely adopted.
- User-Friendly – GUI makes it approachable for beginners.
- Extensible – Plugins/modules allow customization.
- Versatile – Handles disk, mobile, web, and email evidence.
- Strong Community – Regular updates and training materials available.