analyzing-disk-image-with-autopsy

1# Analyzing Disk Image with Autopsy
2 
3## When to Use
4- When you have a forensic disk image and need structured analysis of its contents
5- During investigations requiring file recovery, keyword searching, and timeline analysis
6- When non-technical stakeholders need visual reports from forensic evidence
7- For examining file system metadata, deleted files, and embedded artifacts
8- When building a comprehensive case from multiple disk images
9 
10## Prerequisites
11- Autopsy 4.x installed (Windows) or Autopsy 4.x with The Sleuth Kit (Linux)
12- Forensic disk image in raw (dd), E01 (EnCase), or AFF format
13- Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB recommended for large images)
14- Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8+ for Autopsy
15- Sufficient disk space for the Autopsy case database (2-3x image size)
16- Hash databases (NSRL, known-bad hashes) for file identification
17 
18## Workflow
19 
20### Step 1: Install Autopsy and Configure Environment
21 
22```bash
23# On Linux, install Sleuth Kit and Autopsy
24sudo apt-get install autopsy sleuthkit
25 
26# Download Autopsy 4.x (GUI version) from official source
27wget https://github.com/sleuthkit/autopsy/releases/download/autopsy-4.21.0/autopsy-4.21.0.zip
28unzip autopsy-4.21.0.zip -d /opt/autopsy
29 
30# On Windows, run the MSI installer from sleuthkit.org
31# Launch Autopsy
32/opt/autopsy/bin/autopsy --nosplash
33 
34# For Sleuth Kit command-line analysis alongside Autopsy
35sudo apt-get install sleuthkit
36```
37 
38### Step 2: Create a New Case and Add the Disk Image
39 
40```
411. Launch Autopsy > "New Case"
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