Forensic investigation of peer-to-peer networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks allow the searching and downloading of files. As files can be easily and efficiently copied using P2P software by the general public, criminal activity such as music and film piracy that rely on the transfer of large amounts of data are becoming more common. P2P networks are also used for the dissemination and storage of indecent images and malware including computer viruses, worms and spyware, and may be used by criminal gangs and terrorist groups. We examine the forensic investigation of P2P, an activity that currently lacks commonly used guidelines. Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks allow the searching and downloading of files, with their nodes acting as either producers or consumers of data and resources.1,2,3 These environments provide a logical 'mesh' overlaying the physical network. Currently there are numerous P2P programs in general use on the Internet - examples of commonly used P2P systems include Gnutella, eDonkey, Fast Track and Bit Torrent. 4,5,6 © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.