Realising a Push Button Modality for Video-Based Forensics

Bako Zawali,Arafat A-Dhaqm,Steven Furnell,Richard A Ikuesan,Victor R Kebande

doi:10.3390/infrastructures6040054

Abstract

Complexity and sophistication among multimedia-based tools have made it easy for perpetrators to conduct digital crimes such as counterfeiting, modification, and alteration without being detected. It may not be easy to verify the integrity of video content that, for example, has been manipulated digitally. To address this perennial investigative challenge, this paper proposes the integration of a forensically sound push button forensic modality (PBFM) model for the investigation of the MP4 video file format as a step towards automated video forensic investigation. An open-source multimedia forensic tool was developed based on the proposed PBFM model. A comprehensive evaluation of the efficiency of the tool against file alteration showed that the tool was capable of identifying falsified files, which satisfied the underlying assertion of the PBFM model. Furthermore, the outcome can be used as a complementary process for enhancing the evidence admissibility of MP4 video for forensic investigation.

Highlights

Information and communications technology (ICT) has taken over a substantial part of our lives and has brought about changes in our daily lives
It is needless to highlight that the exodus of forensic experts from most developing nations, as well as the corresponding lack of competent forensic examiners could pose a consequential challenge to the global forensics community
This study presented a technique for verifying MP4 video data integrity by authenticating the embedded digital signature

Summary

Introduction

Information and communications technology (ICT) has taken over a substantial part of our lives and has brought about changes in our daily lives. As asserted in [1,2], the proliferation and ease of falsification of this class of multimedia data present a daunting challenge to society, further requiring the need for an advanced file fingerprinting mechanism [3,4]. Highlighting this notion, Reference [5] posited that the trustworthiness of a multimedia video is sacrosanct, the lack of a scientifically verifiable method notwithstanding. MP4 video, for instance, uses a sequence of pictures (discrete pixels) that can be continuously viewed to create the impression of motion, which manipulates the persistence of the perception of the human pictorial system [21]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion