Common user-activity artifacts are the traces left on a system that show what actions a user performed, which files and applications were used, and how a device was interacted with over time. These artifacts are critical in computer and cyber forensics because they help reconstruct timelines, attribute actions to specific accounts, and identify both normal and malicious behavior in a clear, evidence-based manner.
User-Activity Artifacts
User-activity artifacts arise from both intentional actions (opening documents, browsing websites, using USB drives) and automatic system or application processes (logging events, caching data, updating metadata).
They are not limited to files themselves but also include logs, shortcuts, histories, and metadata that indirectly reflect user behavior. When correlated, these artifacts answer core investigative questions: who did what, when, where, and how on a given system.
Key Categories of User-Activity Artifacts
The following categories group the most commonly examined artifacts that indicate user actions on desktop and laptop systems.
1. Execution artifacts – show which applications or files were run.
2. Attribution artifacts – help link actions to a specific user account.
3. Communication artifacts – show how the user communicated (email, chat, social media).
4. Web activity artifacts – reveal browsing behavior and online accounts used.
5. File interaction artifacts – reflect document access, modification, and deletion activity.
These categories often overlap but provide a useful structure for analysis and reporting.
Common Windows User-Activity Artifacts
Windows shortcut (LNK) files can show original file paths, target volume information, and timestamps indicating when a document or executable was launched. Prefetch and Jump List artifacts help demonstrate that a specific program was run and which documents it was used to open, even if the primary files have been removed.
Browser and Web Activity Artifacts
Browser artifacts provide detailed insight into a user’s online behavior and account usage.
Note: These artifacts are useful for correlating web-based actions with local events, such as downloads or logins.
Typical browser-related artifacts include:
1. History: Lists visited URLs with timestamps, showing which sites were accessed and when.
2. Cookies: Store session and preference information; can indicate logins to web services.
3. Cache: Contains copies of web resources (images, scripts, pages) indicating visual content viewed.
4. Downloads records: Track files downloaded and their original URLs.
5. Form and search data: Store searches and form entries, indicating queries or typed information.
These artifacts can tie a specific browser profile or user account to particular services, such as webmail, social networks, or corporate portals.
Communication and Account-Related Artifacts
Communication artifacts show how users exchanged information and which accounts were active on a device.
Together, these artifacts support “putting a user at the keyboard” by associating particular actions with particular local or online identities.
Logs, Metadata, and System-Level Artifacts
System-level artifacts often provide the backbone for correlating user activities across different applications and timeframes.
Note: These artifacts are especially important for building reliable timelines and detecting tampering.
Key examples include:
1. Operating system logs: Security and application logs record logons, logoffs, process starts, and configuration changes.
2. File metadata: Timestamps (created, modified, accessed) and authorship fields in documents and media files show when and by whom they were handled.
3. Shell and navigation artifacts: Shellbags and related structures record folder browsing activity, even on removable drives.
4. Device connection histories: USB device records indicate when external storage was connected and under which user context, supporting data exfiltration or introduction hypotheses.
Analyzing these artifacts collectively enables reconstruction of sequences such as “user logged in, connected USB, opened document, copied or deleted content,” even if some primary data has been removed.
Using User-Activity Artifacts in Investigations
User-activity artifacts are typically not used in isolation; they are correlated across multiple sources and devices.
1. They help reconstruct timelines, such as when applications were run, websites accessed, and files opened or deleted.
2. They support attribution, by matching user account data, logon events, and communication artifacts to specific actions.
3. They assist in detecting malicious activity, such as execution of suspicious tools, use of anonymization software, or access to unusual websites.
Forensically sound analysis includes documenting where each artifact was found, the tools used to parse it, and how it fits into the broader narrative of events on the system.
