DIGITAL FORENSICS IN MODERN COMPUTING: INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE RESEARCH

Digital forensics has become an essential component of modern computing because computers, smartphones, cloud platforms, network infrastructures, and connected devices generate information that may be relevant to security incidents and legal investigations. Digital forensic investigation involves identifying, acquiring, preserving, examining, analysing, and reporting digital evidence while maintaining its integrity and traceability. The rapid development of information technology has expanded the range of potential evidence sources and introduced new technical and procedural challenges. Traditional computer forensics now operates alongside mobile-device, network, memory, cloud, and Internet of Things (IoT) forensics. This paper presents a narrative review of digital forensic investigation techniques, their applications, and their limitations in contemporary computing environments. It examines evidence acquisition, forensic imaging, cryptographic hashing, file-system analysis, timeline reconstruction, memory examination, network-log analysis, and cloud-based investigations. The paper also discusses challenges related to encryption, volatile evidence, distributed data storage, privacy, legal jurisdiction, tool validation, and the increasing volume of digital information. Emerging research directions include artificial intelligence-assisted analysis, standardised evaluation frameworks, automated evidence correlation, cloud forensic readiness, privacy-preserving methods, and improved reproducibility. The review emphasises that reliable digital investigations require technically sound methods, documented procedures, appropriate legal authority, validated tools, and careful interpretation of findings. It concludes that future progress depends on integrating technological innovation with scientific reliability, professional competence, and responsible evidence management.