NIST releases updated software reference data set for use by computer forensics community.

NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Washington, DC, www.nist.gov) The standards-defining agency of the U.S. government, formerly the National Bureau of Standards. It is one of three agencies that fall under the Technology Administration (www.technology. recently released Version 2.1 of the National Software Reference Library (NSRL) Reference Data Set (RDS (1) (Remote Data Services) A set of programming interfaces from Microsoft that enables users to update data on the Internet or intranets from their ActiveX-enabled browser. ) to the computer forensics community. The RDS is a resource for law enforcement, corporate, and other organizations investigating crimes involving computers. It contains over 15 million file profiles from software, including operating systems, database management systems, word processing packages, graphics applications, utilities, image libraries, font libraries, and many others. These profiles can be used to "fingerprint" known files on computer systems and either remove or include them automatically in reviewing files for probative Having the effect of proof, tending to prove, or actually proving.

When a legal controversy goes to trial, the parties seek to prove their cases by the introduction of evidence. content. The RDS also is being used for digital library management and to support intrusion detection.

The NSRL is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), division of the U.S. Dept. of Justice charged with investigating all violations of federal laws except those assigned to some other federal agency. ; the National Archives and Records Administration; and NIST.

The RDS is available on CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc.

CD-ROM
in full compact disc read-only memory

Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). from NIST's Standard Reference Data Office. Annual subscription ordering information can be found at www.nist.gov/srd/nistsd28.htm. Ongoing information about the project can be found at www.nsrl.nist.gov.

CONTACT: Doug White, (301) 975-4761; nsrl@nist.gov.

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Title Annotation:	General Developments
Publication:	Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Article Type:	Brief Article
Date:	May 1, 2003
Words:	181
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