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Abstract
This Research proposes a Novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) model to optimise
malware forensics investigation during cyber incident response. It aims to
improve forensic investigation efficiency by reducing false negatives and
adapting current practices to evolving malware signatures. The proposed RL
framework leverages techniques such as Q-learning and the Markov Decision
Process (MDP) to train the system to identify malware patterns in live memory
dumps, thereby automating forensic tasks. The RL model is based on a detailed
malware workflow diagram that guides the analysis of malware artefacts using
static and behavioural techniques as well as machine learning algorithms.
Furthermore, it seeks to address challenges in the UK justice system by
ensuring the accuracy of forensic evidence. We conduct testing and evaluation
in controlled environments, using datasets created with Windows operating
systems to simulate malware infections. The experimental results demonstrate
that RL improves malware detection rates compared to conventional methods, with
the RL model's performance varying depending on the complexity and learning
rate of the environment. The study concludes that while RL offers promising
potential for automating malware forensics, its efficacy across diverse malware
types requires ongoing refinement of reward systems and feature extraction
methods.
External Datasets
London Metropolitan University Digital Forensics Laboratory comprehensive malware dataset