Autopsy Kali Linux – Practical Demo, Explanation & Real Examples

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Autopsy Kali Linux – Practical Demo, Explanation & Real Examples












⚠️ Legal Reminder
All demos below use test data / dummy disk images created for learning.
Never investigate real systems without permission.

Demo 1: Creating a Sample Disk Image (Practice Data)

Before using Autopsy, investigators never work on original disks.
They always use a disk image copy.

Demo: Create a Dummy Disk Image

dd if=/dev/zero of=demo_disk.img bs=1M count=100

Explanation:

  • dd → Disk copy tool

  • if=/dev/zero → Empty data

  • of=demo_disk.img → Output file

  • count=100 → 100 MB image

✅ This image is safe for learning & testing.

Demo 2: Creating a Case in Autopsy (Hands-On)

Steps:

  1. Open Autopsy

  2. Click Create New Case

  3. Case Name: Demo_Forensics_Case

  4. Case Directory: default

  5. Investigator Name: Your Name

  6. Finish

Explanation:

  • A case stores all evidence, logs, and reports

  • Used in professional forensic workflows

Demo 3: Adding Disk Image as Evidence

Steps:

  1. Click Add Data Source

  2. Choose Disk Image or VM File

  3. Select demo_disk.img

  4. Click Next

  5. Enable ingest modules

Explanation:

Autopsy does NOT modify the disk image.
It performs read-only analysis, which is legally required.

Demo 4: Ingest Modules – What Happens in Background?

Example Enabled Modules:

  • File Type Identification

  • Recent Activity

  • Keyword Search

  • Hash Lookup

What Autopsy Does:

  • Scans file structure

  • Identifies deleted files

  • Indexes keywords

  • Checks file hashes

📌 This saves hours of manual work.

Demo 5: Deleted File Recovery (Real Example)

Scenario:

A user deleted a PDF file containing sensitive data.

Steps:

  1. Go to File Views

  2. Click Deleted Files

  3. Red ❌ files = deleted

  4. Right-click → Extract File

Explanation:

  • Files may still exist until overwritten

  • Autopsy recovers them legally

✅ Used in fraud & data theft investigations

Demo 6: Browser History Analysis Example

Scenario:

Investigation of suspicious website visits.

Steps:

  1. Go to Results → Web Artifacts

  2. Open:

    • Browsing History

    • Downloads

    • Cookies

Example Output:

  • Visited URLs

  • Time & date

  • Browser used

Explanation:

Autopsy extracts browser databases like:

  • History

  • Cookies

  • Downloads

📌 Common in cybercrime investigations.

Demo 7: Keyword Search Example

Scenario:

Search for leaked credentials.

Steps:

  1. Go to Keyword Search

  2. Add keywords:

    • password

    • email

    • login

  3. Run search

Explanation:

Autopsy scans:

  • Documents

  • Text files

  • Emails

  • Logs

Matches are highlighted automatically.

Demo 8: Timeline Analysis Example

Scenario:

Find when a file was deleted.

Steps:

  1. Open Timeline

  2. Filter by file type

  3. Sort by time

Example Result:

  • File created → Modified → Deleted

Explanation:

Timeline answers:

“What happened before & after the incident?”

Used in court cases.

Demo 9: Image Analysis Example

Scenario:

Identify suspicious images on a disk.

Steps:

  1. Go to Images

  2. Enable image categorization

  3. View thumbnails

Explanation:

Autopsy:

  • Groups similar images

  • Reads EXIF metadata

  • Shows camera & location data (if available)

⚠️ Used only in legal investigations.

Demo 10: Generating a Forensic Report

Steps:

  1. Click Reports

  2. Select HTML / PDF

  3. Choose artifacts

  4. Generate

Explanation:

Reports include:

  • Case details

  • Evidence summary

  • Timeline

  • Findings

✅ Court-ready documentation

Real-World Use Case Example

Example: Company Data Breach Investigation

  • Employee suspected of data leak

  • Disk image analyzed

  • Deleted files recovered

  • Browser history shows uploads

  • Timeline proves activity time

📌 Autopsy provides digital evidence, not assumptions.

Why This Is AdSense & Policy Safe

✔ Educational purpose
✔ No hacking instructions
✔ Legal & ethical warnings
✔ Professional cybersecurity learning
✔ No illegal access methods

Pro Tip for Your Blog SEO

Add keywords:

  • Autopsy Kali Linux tutorial

  • Digital forensics tools

  • Kali Linux forensic analysis

  • Autopsy beginner guide


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