Please choose two operating systems, your choices are Windows, MacOS (OSX), and Linux.
There are many distributions of linux, you can just choose one. For Windows and MacOS, stick with Windows 10 and MacOS High Sierra.
Do a brief introduction on your two operating systems, covering when they were created, what is the latest version, how popular are they (marketshares), etc.
Compare and contrast the following aspects of your two chosen systems:
File system layout – ex. Linux has a ‘/’ root file system while Windows uses a C: drive. Please provide sufficient details and discussion about where artifacts like installed programs, user files, and important OS files are stored.
Settings and Preferences – discuss where the operating system stores its settings and preferences. An example might be the Registry in Windows.
Browser artifacts – discuss the main browser used in your operating system. For Windows look at edge/internet explorer, Mac use Safari, Linux use Firefox or Google Chrome. Discuss where the browser stores its history, favorites, cookies, and other artifacts.
File systems – discuss what file system each OS uses and how they are different. How do they store files, what happens when files are deleted, how hard is it to recover files?
Recycling/Deleting – Discuss how the OS handles deleted files. For example Windows utitilizes the Recycle Bin. What artifacts might an investigator find in these locations?
Encryption – discuss what native encryption methods are available for both operating systems, for example MacOS uses FileVault. This is important to know for an investigation.
Please feel free to ask any questions that may arise.
Format your responses in a report with references on a reference page and in-text citations so I know where your information came from.
