Software pirates: a criminal investigation

Computer program infringing materials are difficult to identify. There are common techniques to disguise the origin of copied codes. In order to decide on a legal basis whether a substantial part of copyright work has been taken, it is necessary to consider both the quality and quantity of the part taken. Various researches have carried out in relation to authorship identification and plagiarism identification. In a criminal case in Hong Kong, we used a common software to compare files contents and folders between a copyright work and the infringing copy instead of complex and technical metrics. We conclude that the source codes of the defendant started from the source codes of his previous employer using simple and easy to understand measurements. Though the magistrate was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of the defendant’s guilt, the evidence in the case did not enable a scientific calculation in respect of the likelihood that a computer program may look like a derivative of another program by chance.postprintThe 33rd ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation (PLDI 2012), Beijing, China, 11-16 June 2012. In Proceedings of the PLDI, 2012, p. 1-1

The next generation for the forensic extraction of electronic evidence from mobile telephones

Electronic evidence extracted from a mobile telephone provide a wealth of information about the user. Before a court allows the trier of fact to consider the electronic evidence, the court must ensure that the subject matter, testimony of which is to be given, is scientific. Therefore, regard must, at the investigation stage, be given to fulfill the requirements of science and law, including international standards. Such compliance also moves the extraction of electronic evidence from mobile telephones into the next generation, a more rigorous position as a forensic science, by being able to give in court well- reasoned and concrete claims about the accuracy and validity of conclusions.published_or_final_versio

Quantification of digital forensic hypotheses using probability theory

The issue of downloading illegal material from a website onto a personal digital device is considered from the perspective of conventional (Pascalian) probability theory. We present quantitative results for a simple model system by which we analyse and counter the putative defence case that the forensically recovered illegal material was downloaded accidentally by the defendant. The model is applied to two actual prosecutions involving possession of child pornography.published_or_final_versio

Memory acquisition: A 2-Take approach

When more and more people recognize the value of volatile data, live forensics gains more weight in digital forensics. It is often used in parallel with traditional pull-the-plug forensics to provide a more reliable result in forensic examination. One of the core components in live forensics is the collection and analysis of memory volatile data, during which the memory content is acquired for searching of relevant evidential data or investigating various computer processes to unveil the activities being performed by a user. However, this conventional method may have weaknesses because of the volatile nature of memory data and the absence of original data for validation. This may cause implication to the admissibility of memory data at the court of law which requires strict authenticity and reliability of evidence. In this paper, we discuss the impact of various memory acquisition methods and suggest a 2-Take approach which aims to enhance the confidence level of the acquired memory data for legal proceedings. © 2009 IEEE.published_or_final_versionThe 2009 International Workshop on Forensics for Future Generation Communication Environments (F2GC-09) in conjunction with CSA 2009, Jeju Island, Korea, 10-12 December 2009. In Proceedings of CSA, 2009, p. 1-

Protecting digital data privacy in Computer Forensic Examination

Session 1: Forensic Modeling and Framework: no. 3Privacy is a fundamental human right defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To enable the protection of data privacy, personal data that are not related to the investigation subject should be excluded during computer forensic examination. In the physical world, protection of privacy is controlled and regulated in most countries by laws. Legislation for handling private data has been established in various jurisdictions. In the modern world, the massive use of computers generates a huge amount of private data and there is correspondingly an increased expectation to recognize and respect human rights in digital investigation. However, there does not exist a forensically sound model for protecting private data in the context of digital investigation, and it poses a threat to privacy if the investigation involves the processing of such kind of data. In this paper, we try to address this important issue and present a cryptographic model designed to be incorporated into the current digital investigation framework, thereby adding a possible way to protect data privacy in digital investigation. © 2011 IEEE.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Lateral step up test (LSUT): reliability and associations with motor functions in people with chronic stroke

Poster Presentation: P172This Free Access journal suppl. entitled: Asia Pacific Stroke Conference 2016. Abstracts of the Annual Conference of the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (APSO) Combined with Stroke Society of Australasia, Brisbane, Qld., Australia, July 14-17, 2016: AbstractsBACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Muscles weakness is common after stroke, and it could impede the performance of daily motor functions including standing up from sitting, walking on level ground, and walking up and down stairs. Thus, clinicians need a reliable, valid and easy-to-administer outcome measures in order to document the changes of muscle strength during the rehabilitation process. The Lateral Step Up Test (LSUT) is one of the clinical tests which can quantify the functional muscle strength of the lower extremity. A 10 cm step was used and placed at one side of the subject. Subjects were required to extend the tested leg on the step into full extension, and then return to flexion until the non-tested leg touches the floor. Number of counts completed in 15 seconds was recorded. The objectives of this study was to investigate the reliability of LSUT and its correlation with stroke-specific impairments. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional clinical trial with 33 people with chronic stroke. LSUT counts was administered along with Fugl-Meyer motor assessment for the lower extremities (FMA-LE), muscle strength of affected leg, Five Times Sit to stand test (FTSTS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), timed Up and Go test (TUG) and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scores. The LSUT was conducted in 2 sessions with 5–7 days apart by 2 independent assessors. The order of testing on motor functions was randomized by drawing lots. RESULTS: Both paretic and non-paretic LSUT counts showed excellent intra-rater, inter-rater and test-restest reliabilities (intra intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.936–0.991) Significant correlations were found between both paretic and non-paretic LSUT counts and FMA-LE scores, muscle strength of knee extensors and flexors, FTSTS times, BBS scores, TUG times and ABC scores. CONCLUSION: LSUT is a reliable, valid and easy-to-administer clinical assessment for assessing the functional muscle strength in people with chronic stroke.link_to_OA_fulltex