Summary
In this chapter, we covered the importance of the Windows Registry in forensic analysis and how to utilize it to extract critical information during an investigation. The Windows Registry is a crucial repository of system- and user-level data that provides a timeline of the activities performed on a system. We discussed several Windows Registry hives, including SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM, and SOFTWARE, which provide a wealth of information related to user activity, system configurations, and network connections.
We explained the importance of profiling system details using the Windows Registry, such as identifying the Windows OS version, current control set, computer name, and time zone. We also covered investigating installed applications, network interfaces, historical network connections, user activities, shutdown information, and more.
We explored how to analyze Windows Registry data using tools such as Registry Explorer. By analyzing the Windows Registry, forensic analysts...
