Forensic methods for detection of deniable encryption in mobile networks

Conventional security mechanisms providing confidentiality, integrity and authentication are facing new challenges in modern wired and wireless networks. Deniable encryption allows encrypted data to be decrypted to different sensible plaintexts, depending on the key used or otherwise makes it impossible to prove the existence of the real message without the proper encryption key. This allows the sender to have plausible deniability if compelled to give up their encryption key. Deniable file systems allow for the creation of an encrypted volume on a hard disk and a second, hidden deniable file system created inside with access by a second password. The objective of this research is to establish whether or not evidence of a hidden volume can be found in deniable encryption tools using conventional forensic analysis. A testbed is developed using open source deniable encryption software and forensics tools with the objective of proving or disproving this claim.