Mastering Python Forensics

Master the art of digital forensics and analysis with Python About This Book Learn to perform forensic analysis and investigations with the help of Python, and gain an advanced understanding of the various Python libraries and frameworks Analyze Python scripts to extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts The writers, Dr. Michael Spreitzenbarth and Dr. Johann Uhrmann, have used their experience to craft this hands-on guide to using Python for forensic analysis and investigations Who This Book Is For If you are a network security professional or forensics analyst who wants to gain a deeper understanding of performing forensic analysis with Python, then this book is for you. Some Python experience would be helpful. What You Will Learn Explore the forensic analysis of different platforms such as Windows, Android, and vSphere Semi-automatically reconstruct major parts of the system activity and time-line Leverage Python ctypes for protocol decoding Examine artifacts from mobile, Skype, and browsers Discover how to utilize Python to improve the focus of your analysis Investigate in volatile memory with the help of volatility on the Android and Linux platforms In Detail Digital forensic analysis is the process of examining and extracting data digitally and examining it. Python has the combination of power, expressiveness, and ease of use that makes it an essential complementary tool to the traditional, off-the-shelf digital forensic tools. This book will teach you how to perform forensic analysis and investigations by exploring the capabilities of various Python libraries. The book starts by explaining the building blocks of the Python programming language, especially ctypes in-depth, along with how to automate typical tasks in file system analysis, common correlation tasks to discover anomalies, as well as templates for investigations. Next, we'll show you cryptographic algorithms that can be used during forensic investigations to check for known files or to compare suspicious files with online services such as VirusTotal or Mobile-Sandbox. Moving on, you'll learn how to sniff on the network, generate and analyze network flows, and perform log correlation with the help of Python scripts and tools. You'll get to know about the concepts of virtualization and how virtualization influences IT forensics, and you'll discover how to perform forensic analysis of a jailbroken/rooted mobile device that is based on iOS or Android. Finally, the book teaches you how to analyze volatile memory and search for known malware samples based on YARA rules. Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide will demonstrate forensic analysis techniques by showing you how to solve real-word-scenarios step by step.

Learn the art of designing, developing, and deploying innovative forensic solutions through Python About This Book This practical guide will help you solve forensic dilemmas through the development of Python scripts Analyze Python scripts to extract metadata and investigate forensic artifacts Master the skills of parsing complex data structures by taking advantage of Python libraries Who This Book Is For If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional that is seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then this book is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding of examiners who wish to learn programming What You Will Learn Discover how to perform Python script development Update yourself by learning the best practices in forensic programming Build scripts through an iterative design Explore the rapid development of specialized scripts Understand how to leverage forensic libraries developed by the community Design flexibly to accommodate present and future hurdles Conduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic pre-analysis Discover how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizations In Detail This book will illustrate how and why you should learn Python to strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. The tutorials use an interactive design, giving you experience of the development process so you gain a better understanding of what it means to be a forensic developer. Each chapter walks you through a forensic artifact and one or more methods to analyze the evidence. It also provides reasons why one method may be advantageous over another. We cover common digital forensics and incident response scenarios, with scripts that can be used to tackle case work in the field. Using built-in and community-sourced libraries, you will improve your problem solving skills with the addition of the Python scripting language. In addition, we provide resources for further exploration of each script so you can understand what further purposes Python can serve. With this knowledge, you can rapidly develop and deploy solutions to identify critical information and fine-tune your skill set as an examiner. Style and approach The book begins by instructing you on the basics of Python, followed by chapters that include scripts targeted for forensic casework. Each script is described step by step at an introductory level, providing gradual growth to demonstrate the available functionalities of Python.

Design, develop, and deploy innovative forensic solutions using Python Key FeaturesDiscover how to develop Python scripts for effective digital forensic analysisMaster the skills of parsing complex data structures with Python librariesSolve forensic challenges through the development of practical Python scriptsBook Description Digital forensics plays an integral role in solving complex cybercrimes and helping organizations make sense of cybersecurity incidents. This second edition of Learning Python for Forensics illustrates how Python can be used to support these digital investigations and permits the examiner to automate the parsing of forensic artifacts to spend more time examining actionable data. The second edition of Learning Python for Forensics will illustrate how to develop Python scripts using an iterative design. Further, it demonstrates how to leverage the various built-in and community-sourced forensics scripts and libraries available for Python today. This book will help strengthen your analysis skills and efficiency as you creatively solve real-world problems through instruction-based tutorials. By the end of this book, you will build a collection of Python scripts capable of investigating an array of forensic artifacts and master the skills of extracting metadata and parsing complex data structures into actionable reports. Most importantly, you will have developed a foundation upon which to build as you continue to learn Python and enhance your efficacy as an investigator. What you will learnLearn how to develop Python scripts to solve complex forensic problemsBuild scripts using an iterative designDesign code to accommodate present and future hurdlesLeverage built-in and community-sourced librariesUnderstand the best practices in forensic programmingLearn how to transform raw data into customized reports and visualizationsCreate forensic frameworks to automate analysis of multiple forensic artifactsConduct effective and efficient investigations through programmatic processingWho this book is for If you are a forensics student, hobbyist, or professional seeking to increase your understanding in forensics through the use of a programming language, then Learning Python for Forensics is for you. You are not required to have previous experience in programming to learn and master the content within this book. This material, created by forensic professionals, was written with a unique perspective and understanding for examiners who wish to learn programming.

Tackle security and networking issues using Python libraries such as Nmap, requests, asyncio, and scapy Key Features Enhance your Python programming skills in securing systems and executing networking tasks Explore Python scripts to debug and secure complex networks Learn to avoid common cyber events with modern Python scripting Book DescriptionIt’s now more apparent than ever that security is a critical aspect of IT infrastructure, and that devastating data breaches can occur from simple network line hacks. As shown in this book, combining the latest version of Python with an increased focus on network security can help you to level up your defenses against cyber attacks and cyber threats. Python is being used for increasingly advanced tasks, with the latest update introducing new libraries and packages featured in the Python 3.7.4 recommended version. Moreover, most scripts are compatible with the latest versions of Python and can also be executed in a virtual environment. This book will guide you through using these updated packages to build a secure network with the help of Python scripting. You’ll cover a range of topics, from building a network to the procedures you need to follow to secure it. Starting by exploring different packages and libraries, you’ll learn about various ways to build a network and connect with the Tor network through Python scripting. You will also learn how to assess a network's vulnerabilities using Python security scripting. Later, you’ll learn how to achieve endpoint protection by leveraging Python packages, along with writing forensic scripts. By the end of this Python book, you’ll be able to use Python to build secure apps using cryptography and steganography techniques.What you will learn Create scripts in Python to automate security and pentesting tasks Explore Python programming tools that are used in network security processes Automate tasks such as analyzing and extracting information from servers Understand how to detect server vulnerabilities and analyze security modules Discover ways to connect to and get information from the Tor network Focus on how to extract information with Python forensics tools Who this book is for This Python network security book is for network engineers, system administrators, or any security professional looking to overcome networking and security challenges. You will also find this book useful if you’re a programmer with prior experience in Python. A basic understanding of general programming structures and the Python programming language is required before getting started.

Over 60 recipes to help you learn digital forensics and leverage Python scripts to amplify your examinations About This Book Develop code that extracts vital information from everyday forensic acquisitions. Increase the quality and efficiency of your forensic analysis. Leverage the latest resources and capabilities available to the forensic community. Who This Book Is For If you are a digital forensics examiner, cyber security specialist, or analyst at heart, understand the basics of Python, and want to take it to the next level, this is the book for you. Along the way, you will be introduced to a number of libraries suitable for parsing forensic artifacts. Readers will be able to use and build upon the scripts we develop to elevate their analysis. What You Will Learn Understand how Python can enhance digital forensics and investigations Learn to access the contents of, and process, forensic evidence containers Explore malware through automated static analysis Extract and review message contents from a variety of email formats Add depth and context to discovered IP addresses and domains through various Application Program Interfaces (APIs) Delve into mobile forensics and recover deleted messages from SQLite databases Index large logs into a platform to better query and visualize datasets In Detail Technology plays an increasingly large role in our daily lives and shows no sign of stopping. Now, more than ever, it is paramount that an investigator develops programming expertise to deal with increasingly large datasets. By leveraging the Python recipes explored throughout this book, we make the complex simple, quickly extracting relevant information from large datasets. You will explore, develop, and deploy Python code and libraries to provide meaningful results that can be immediately applied to your investigations. Throughout the Python Digital Forensics Cookbook, recipes include topics such as working with forensic evidence containers, parsing mobile and desktop operating system artifacts, extracting embedded metadata from documents and executables, and identifying indicators of compromise. You will also learn to integrate scripts with Application Program Interfaces (APIs) such as VirusTotal and PassiveTotal, and tools such as Axiom, Cellebrite, and EnCase. By the end of the book, you will have a sound understanding of Python and how you can use it to process artifacts in your investigations. Style and approach Our succinct recipes take a no-frills approach to solving common challenges faced in investigations. The code in this book covers a wide range of artifacts and data sources. These examples will help improve the accuracy and efficiency of your analysis—no matter the situation.

Master Python scripting to build a network and perform security operations Key Features Learn to handle cyber attacks with modern Python scripting Discover various Python libraries for building and securing your network Understand Python packages and libraries to secure your network infrastructure Book DescriptionIt’s becoming more and more apparent that security is a critical aspect of IT infrastructure. A data breach is a major security incident, usually carried out by just hacking a simple network line. Increasing your network’s security helps step up your defenses against cyber attacks. Meanwhile, Python is being used for increasingly advanced tasks, with the latest update introducing many new packages. This book focuses on leveraging these updated packages to build a secure network with the help of Python scripting. This book covers topics from building a network to the different procedures you need to follow to secure it. You’ll first be introduced to different packages and libraries, before moving on to different ways to build a network with the help of Python scripting. Later, you will learn how to check a network’s vulnerability using Python security scripting, and understand how to check vulnerabilities in your network. As you progress through the chapters, you will also learn how to achieve endpoint protection by leveraging Python packages along with writing forensic scripts. By the end of this book, you will be able to get the most out of the Python language to build secure and robust networks that are resilient to attacks.What you will learn Develop Python scripts for automating security and pentesting tasks Discover the Python standard library s main modules used for performing security-related tasks Automate analytical tasks and the extraction of information from servers Explore processes for detecting and exploiting vulnerabilities in servers Use network software for Python programming Perform server scripting and port scanning with Python Identify vulnerabilities in web applications with Python Use Python to extract metadata and forensics Who this book is for This book is ideal for network engineers, system administrators, or any security professional looking at tackling networking and security challenges. Programmers with some prior experience in Python will get the most out of this book. Some basic understanding of general programming structures and Python is required.

Get to grips with the latest container examples, Python 3 features, GitLab DevOps, network data analysis, and cloud networking to get the most out of Python for network engineering with the latest edition of this bestselling guide Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in PDF format. Key Features Explore the power of the latest Python libraries and frameworks to tackle common and complex network problems efficiently and effectively Use Python and other open source tools for Network DevOps, automation, management, and monitoring Use Python 3 to implement advanced network-related features Book DescriptionNetworks in your infrastructure set the foundation for how your application can be deployed, maintained, and serviced. Python is the ideal language for network engineers to explore tools that were previously available to systems engineers and application developers. In Mastering Python Networking, Fourth edition, you'll embark on a Python-based journey to transition from a traditional network engineer to a network developer ready for the next generation of networks. This new edition is completely revised and updated to work with the latest Python features and DevOps frameworks. In addition to new chapters on introducing Docker containers and Python 3 Async IO for network engineers, each chapter is updated with the latest libraries with working examples to ensure compatibility and understanding of the concepts. Starting with a basic overview of Python, the book teaches you how it can interact with both legacy and API-enabled network devices. You will learn to leverage high-level Python packages and frameworks to perform network automation tasks, monitoring, management, and enhanced network security, followed by AWS and Azure cloud networking. You will use Git for code management, GitLab for continuous integration, and Python-based testing tools to verify your network.What you will learn Use Python to interact with network devices Understand Docker as a tool that you can use for the development and deployment Use Python and various other tools to obtain information from the network Learn how to use ELK for network data analysis Utilize Flask and construct high-level API to interact with in-house applications Discover the new AsyncIO feature and its concepts in Python 3 Explore test-driven development concepts and use PyTest to drive code test coverage Understand how GitLab can be used with DevOps practices in networking Who this book is for Mastering Python Networking, Fourth edition is for network engineers, developers, and SREs who want to learn Python for network automation, programmability, monitoring, cloud, and data analysis. Network engineers who want to transition from manual to automation-based networks using the latest DevOps tools will also get a lot of useful information from this book. Basic familiarity with Python programming and networking-related concepts such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) will be helpful in getting the most out of this book.

Master the art of writing beautiful and powerful Python by using all of the features that Python 3.5 offers About This Book Become familiar with the most important and advanced parts of the Python code style Learn the trickier aspects of Python and put it in a structured context for deeper understanding of the language Offers an expert's-eye overview of how these advanced tasks fit together in Python as a whole along with practical examples Who This Book Is For Almost anyone can learn to write working script and create high quality code but they might lack a structured understanding of what it means to be 'Pythonic'. If you are a Python programmer who wants to code efficiently by getting the syntax and usage of a few intricate Python techniques exactly right, this book is for you. What You Will Learn Create a virtualenv and start a new project Understand how and when to use the functional programming paradigm Get familiar with the different ways the decorators can be written in Understand the power of generators and coroutines without digressing into lambda calculus Create metaclasses and how it makes working with Python far easier Generate HTML documentation out of documents and code using Sphinx Learn how to track and optimize application performance, both memory and cpu Use the multiprocessing library, not just locally but also across multiple machines Get a basic understanding of packaging and creating your own libraries/applications In Detail Python is a dynamic programming language. It is known for its high readability and hence it is often the first language learned by new programmers. Python being multi-paradigm, it can be used to achieve the same thing in different ways and it is compatible across different platforms. Even if you find writing Python code easy, writing code that is efficient, easy to maintain, and reuse is not so straightforward. This book is an authoritative guide that will help you learn new advanced methods in a clear and contextualised way. It starts off by creating a project-specific environment using venv, introducing you to different Pythonic syntax and common pitfalls before moving on to cover the functional features in Python. It covers how to create different decorators, generators, and metaclasses. It also introduces you to functools.wraps and coroutines and how they work. Later on you will learn to use asyncio module for asynchronous clients and servers. You will also get familiar with different testing systems such as py.test, doctest, and unittest, and debugging tools such as Python debugger and faulthandler. You will learn to optimize application performance so that it works efficiently across multiple machines and Python versions. Finally, it will teach you how to access C functions with a simple Python call. By the end of the book, you will be able to write more advanced scripts and take on bigger challenges. Style and Approach This book is a comprehensive guide that covers advanced features of the Python language, and communicate them with an authoritative understanding of the underlying rationale for how, when, and why to use them.