A Comparative Analysis of Email Artifacts from Gmail, Yahoomail, and Livemail for Email Forensics

In recent years, the surge in email usage has brought with it a variety of security concerns, notably spam, threatening messages, and phishing attempts. These issues, which are escalating in both frequency and sophistication, demand advanced forensic tools, especially since existing solutions, often developed in isolation, fall short of addressing the complexity of modern cyber threats. This study proposes the development of an advanced email forensic tool. The goal of the tool is to enhance the investigation process and provide a more integrated and effective approach to email forensics. The study involves an in-depth analysis of three popular email services: Gmail, Yahoo, and Livemail. It identifies various artifacts that can be utilized for forensic investigations. Based on this analysis, a comprehensive email forensic tool has been developed in a way that adheres to all forensic soundness principles. This proposed approach can enable investigators to effectively analyze emails, including their headers, as well as generate detailed forensic reports. The preliminary evaluation of the proposed approach indicates its effectiveness in forensic investigations. The adoption of this tool will advance the current level of email forensic investigations adopted to solve cyber threat cases via email.