Google Apps Forensics

Since technology has advanced; so as the way of storing the data. Now, everyone use to store the data in cloud rather than in local drives. Cloud computing allows to store and share the data easily. It is a third-party data center for the large enterprises or organizations. One of the retinue of cloud computing is Google Apps. It includes Google related web applications such as; Google Docs, Gmail, Google Hangouts, Google Drive, etc. the applications are available for free to the users but, the Google Apps is priced.

Google has maintained a good security for the Google Apps. They secure the credentials of the customers in Google's data center and don't reveal the data to any others. The data are kept as long as the customers need it; it can be taken away as per the requirement of the customer.

For an investigator, it is difficult to go around each mail since it consumes time. To overcome the huddles, Google Apps is established in such a way that, it makes an easy way for the investigators to go through the mails. The agents can download all the mails related to the culprit and backup it to prevent the data loses. Now, the questions are: how to take backups in Google Apps? What are the methods available? Etc. Let's see, what Google has for Google Apps.

Google TakeOut For Backing Up

Google TakeOut is a feature that allows the Google products such as; Gmail, to transfer the data it contains to a downloadable format called ZIP file. Apart from Gmail, users can export the data of Google contacts, YouTube videos, etc. But, you cannot export the core services of the Google like; Google Search History and Wallet details. Google TakeOut has got a separate site for it and is a part of the Google+ settings. You can go to the settings and choose "Data Liberation" and download all the required data. It is deployed by the Google Data Liberation Front. How Google TakeOut downloading processing is established?

Download With Google TakeOut And Secure Data

Let's check out how the downloading is done with TakeOut.

• Enter the credentials and login to Google TakeOut.
• Select the required products for downloading from the download services.

• After selection click on the "Next" button.
• Select "Create Archive".

• Choose the "Download" option and take the backup of your required product.

The facility preserves data and makes an easy way for searching. Now, almost all applications are met with the facility for the investigators. For each works, the forensics gets involved. The investigation or cases go with forensics more. Detailed evidences can be sort out using forensics and that makes it much demand. Cloud forensics is used mainly for;

• Used in data breaches
• Searches fraud activities
• Used in cyber-crime investigations
• In data recovery, from both accidental lose or intentional

When the data are stored in cloud, it harms the investigators on their way for evidences. Since they don't have the medium in their hands, any proper knowledge about who owns the data, unknown location of the data in cloud, etc. These hinder the investigation process. But, with the proper download facility deployed in the Google Apps, leads a light to the investigators.

Covering Up

Google Apps is an application where you can find all the products related to the Google such as; Gmail, Hangouts, Google Drive, Contacts, Messenger, etc. You can get all the facility provided that it is a paid application. Google Apps is been deployed with the feature that, the user can download the data stored in the Google products through the TakeOut feature. This has contributed an easy way for the forensic agents in their investigation of emails & artifacts and is an effortless feature.