Microsoft Planning Portal to Aid Police Investigations

MONTEREY, Calif. — Microsoft, with enormous resources and intimate knowledge of its software, is planning a website that will aid police in investigating Internet crime.

The announcement, made at the High Technology Crime Investigation Association’s 2005 International Training Conference & Expo in Monterey, Calif., comes in the wake of last month’s FBI’s Microsoft-aided probe into the origins of the Zotob worm, which crippled U.S. businesses in August.

Resources for the Microsoft site will include online training sessions on how to conduct Internet investigations, extract information from hard drives and trace an IP address back to its source to identify website owners.

The portal, which does not yet have an official address, also will offer information on recently passed legislation relative to Internet crime.

In other conference news, cybercrime instructor Glenn Lewis at the conference said that most computer forensic investigations using web browser date are easy for police — but only if the suspect employs Internet Explorer.

Lewis said that Internet Explorer hides nothing from investigators who examine PCs to discover which sites the user has visited. Those investigators typically know the location of the IE browser cache, cookie files and history, and they know how to read those files.

The investigations, however, find trouble when it comes to alternative web browsers such as Firefox and Opera because those programs use different structures, files and naming conventions for the data that investigators are after, he said.

Files also are in a different location on the hard drive, which can cause trouble for investigators, and in many instances forensics software may not support the web browsers, he said.

Lewis told attendees that one specific challenge with Firefox and Opera is identifying which web addresses have been entered manually as opposed to having been clicked on in a hyperlink. The distinction may be key to a case where a suspect claims he did not intend to visit a site but accidentally clicked on a link or was sent to a site automatically.

Firefox and Opera store data on typed URLs in a different file than Internet Explorer does, making the files harder to decipher, Lewis said.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

NYC Adult Stores Lose Challenge to Zoning Law, May Face Relocation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s decision to allow enforcement of a 2001 zoning law aimed at forcing adult retail stores out of most parts of New York City.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Show More