An Evaluation Framework for Anti-Forensic Encryption Tools Through Software Reverse Engineering Methods
Zakariyya Hassan Abdullahi, Zainab Suleiman Abdullahi, Kabiru Bashir · 2025
The widespread adoption of encryption technologies has raised concerns about the protection and vulnerability of digital data. Protocol reverse engineering (PRE) is a critical methodology for evaluating and validating encryption implementations. It involves analyzing network traffic, message logging, and model checking processes. The key security properties of encryption include confidentiality, integrity, availability, and non-repudiation. However, the dual-use nature of encryption presents challenges for digital forensics and law enforcement investigations. Malicious actors can exploit encryption to conceal criminal activities and obstruct justice. Digital investigators and forensic specialists must develop expertise in specialized decryption tools, steganographic detection methods, and advanced analytical techniques to uncover hidden or obfuscated data. Cryptographic service implementations vary significantly in performance characteristics and security effectiveness, with key size, algorithm type, encryption rounds, algorithm complexity, and data size influencing performance.