Date of Award
5-2025
Culminating Project Type
Starred Paper
Styleguide
apa
Department
Information Assurance and Information Systems
College
Herberger School of Business
First Advisor
Dr. Mark B. Schmidt
Second Advisor
Dr. Balsy Kasi
Third Advisor
Dr. Lynn Collen
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
Cyberstalking is an increasing digital crime that exploits the anonymity of the internet, making it difficult for law enforcement to track offenders. Traditional digital forensic investigation models rely heavily on technical evidence, such as metadata and IP tracking, but fail to incorporate Behavioral Evidence Analysis (BEA), which studies an offender’s behavioral patterns and psychological motivations. This research proposes an improved Digital Forensic Investigation Framework (DFIF) integrated with BEA to enhance cyberstalker profiling, reduce investigation timelines, and improve accuracy in offender identification. Using a case study analysis approach, this study examines three real-world cybercrime cases from Mutawa & Khurshid (2018), Bwangah (2022), and Shree & Dhaliwal (2021). These cases highlight limitations in existing forensic models, such as the lack of structured behavioral profiling, absence of AI automation, and inefficiency in predicting cyberstalker recidivism. The proposed model addresses these gaps by integrating structured BEA with AI-driven forensic analysis, enabling faster and more accurate profiling of cyberstalkers. Comparative analysis with existing forensic models demonstrates that the proposed approach significantly reduces investigation time, improves behavioral profiling accuracy, and enhances risk assessment for repeat offenders. This study contributes to the advancement of next-generation digital forensics by bridging the gap between traditional forensic methods and AI-powered behavioral analysis, offering a more effective approach to combat cyberstalking.
Recommended Citation
Thapa, Simran, "Digital Forensics Enhanced: Incorporating Behavioral Insights into Investigation Workflows" (2025). Culminating Projects in Information Assurance. 152.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/msia_etds/152
