Hayabusa Forensic Use Case: Rapid Windows Log Analysis on the Acorn
This Hayabusa forensic use case highlights how Squirrel Forensics’ Acorn enables rapid detection of suspicious activity by analysing Windows event logs. Working together, Hayabusa and the Acorn help forensic examiners spot ransomware TTPs early, accelerating investigations and strengthening incident response.
Context
Cyber Security expert John Smith is investigating a potential ransomware attack on a corporate Windows laptop. To identify suspicious activity, he extracts the Windows Event Logs (EVTX) and uses Hayabusa, a powerful event log analysis tool, via the Acorn’s Terminal.
1. Extracting and Preparing Windows Event Logs
• John connects the laptop’s drive to the Acorn forensic workstation using the Acorn’s write-blocker to prevent any accidental modifications.
• He navigates to the Windows event log directory and extracts security, system, and application logs (.evtx files).
• These logs are copied to a separate working directory on the Acorn for analysis.
2. Running Hayabusa in the Terminal
• Using the Acorn’s built-in Ubuntu CLI, John runs Hayabusa on the extracted EVTX logs.
• The tool parses large log sets quickly, extracting key security-related events such as:
– Unusual login attempts (e.g., failed logins, RDP sessions).
– Privilege escalation events (e.g., new admin accounts created).
– Processes executing from suspicious locations (e.g., malware running from C:\Users\Public\).
– Indicators of compromise (IOCs) matching known ransomware TTPs.
3. Detecting Suspicious Activity
• Hayabusa flags several critical alerts, including:
– Unauthorised admin login attempts at odd hours.
– Registry modifications linked to ransomware strains.
– Execution of PowerShell scripts tied to known threat actors.
• The tool correlates findings with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, helping John understand the attack’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
• These findings confirm the presence of ransomware, indicating an active compromise.
4. Forensic Reporting and Next Steps
• John compiles a preliminary forensic report summarising:
– Suspicious log entries identified by Hayabusa.
– Potential attack timeline, based on event timestamps.
– IOCs and MITRE ATT&CK classifications for the detected threats.
• Using LibreOffice’s forensic template, he creates a court-ready report, exporting it as a PDF.
• John’s analysis allows the incident response team to act quickly, containing the ransomware threat before further damage occurs.
Why the Acorn Wins Here
• Automated Log Analysis – Hayabusa processes massive Windows EVTX logs in seconds, identifying threat patterns that would take hours to manually review.
• Native Ubuntu CLI Performance – Unlike Windows-based log analysis tools, Hayabusa runs efficiently in Ubuntu’s Terminal, reducing processing time.
• Seamless Workflow – The Acorn’s built-in forensic suite allows John to extract logs, analyse them, and generate reports—all on one device.
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