Authors: Maximilian Eichhorn, Felix Gabel, Felix Freiling
DFRWS USA 2026
Abstract
We present a definition and taxonomy of digital surveillance cameras and provide a structured approach for extracting forensically relevant artifacts from these devices. As part of this approach, we implemented a Python-based framework for automatically and reproducibly generating test data within a camera test environment and evaluated it using 9 cameras from various manufacturers. We show that despite considerable device diversity, some devices exhibit minimal differences upon closer examination of their forensic artifacts. Still, although limited generalization across camera subgroups is possible, device-specific analysis remains necessary for a comprehensive forensic investigation.