Homework
Instructions
I. On your computer, look for the following files created by Microsoft Office (I assume you have Microsoft Office on your computer).
i. Microsoft Word
ii. Microsoft Excel
iii. Adobe Acrobat (.PDF)
iv. Microsoft PowerPoint
II. Right click on the file and select Properties. See screenshot.
III. You will see something like this. See screenshot.
IV. What information do you see in the metadata? How could this metadata be valuable to you in the context an investigation?
V. Do the same thing by examining the metadata of your other files created with word processing software e.g. Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel. What else do you see and how could the metadata be helpful?
VI. Experiment. For example, make some changes to the Microsoft Word document, save the file, then close it. Then check the metadata properties. What changed?
VII. Make a copy of the file and then check the properties of the copied file. Did anything change? If so, what changed?
VIII. Make a copy of the file and copy the file to a USB device (external storage device - if you have one) and then examine the copied file on the USB device. Did anything change? If so, what changed?
IX. Do some research if you can. Which of the dates are probably the MOST likely trusted?
i. Created?
ii. Modified?
iii. Accessed?
X. Note - the Created, Modified, and Accessed dates are not infallible but generally some are more "trusted" than others.
XI. Write an evaluation of your observations and let me know if this has helped you understand the importance of fragility as well as chain of custody considerations.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.