Extensible Software Tool For Investigating Peer-to-Peer Usage on A Target Device

Patent Number: 7,886,049

Date: February 8, 2011

Inventors: Adelstein, Frank N. (Ithaca, NY); Powers, Judson (Ithaca, NY); Joyce, Robert A. (Ithaca, NY); Bronner, Derek (Chittenango, NY)

Abstract: In general, the invention provides for analyzing a target computer for computer crimes such as illegal sharing of files or sharing of illegal files on peer-to-peer clients. The target computer may have software for a plurality of peer-to-peer clients. Only one extensible forensic device may be necessary to analyze the plurality of peer-to-peer clients for downloaded or shared files. For example, the invention may provide for a method comprising determining whether one or more peer-to-peer clients are or have been installed on a target device by identifying information associated with one or more peer-to-peer modules, wherein each module is associated with a different one of the one or more peer-to-peer clients. The method further includes, gathering usage information for the one or more peer-to-peer clients that had been determined to be installed on the target computer, analyzing the usage information, and automatically generating a report of the analyzed usage information.