Tool Type Identification in Forensic Digital Document Examination
Organized by: International Forensic Scientist Awards
Website: forensicscientist.org
14th Edition of Forensic Scientist Awards 26-27 September 2025 | Mumbai, India
Introduction:
Digital documents are everywhere—from identity proofs to legal contracts and business communications. Ensuring the authenticity and tracing the origin of these documents is critical in legal, corporate, and investigative contexts. While traditional forensic document examination focuses on physical documents, the digital realm demands specialized techniques to achieve similar objectives.
What is Tool Type Identification in FDDE?
Forensic Digital Document Examination (FDDE) not only seeks to verify a document’s authenticity but also aims to identify the software tool used to create it. Unlike file type identification, which tells you the format of a document, tool type identification reveals the specific program behind its creation. This information can be crucial for investigations involving document forgery, tampering, or unauthorized creation.
Methodology:
In our study, we focused on PDF documents, a widely used format in digital communication. Traditional analysis methods often rely on metadata or visible content, which can easily be altered. Instead, we applied structural analysis techniques using:
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Byte histograms
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Entropy measurements
These features were then analyzed using various machine learning algorithms, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), to accurately identify the tool that generated a document.
Key Findings:
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CNNs outperformed other machine learning models in detecting the creating software.
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Our method was also capable of distinguishing between different versions of the same software and alternative ways of generating PDFs.
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This approach demonstrates a high accuracy in tool type identification for digital forensic purposes.
Why This Matters:
By identifying the software used to create a document, investigators can:
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Detect potential forgery or manipulation
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Trace the document’s origin
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Strengthen digital evidence in legal and corporate investigations
Conclusion:
Tool type identification is a growing area in forensic digital document examination. By leveraging structural analysis and machine learning, experts can gain deeper insights into the origin and authenticity of digital documents, enhancing the credibility and reliability of digital evidence.
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