A physical system that is controlled by an array of logic devices interconnected through a communications infrastructure is effectively a networked process control system. Also known as cyber-physical systems, they are ubiquitous in American society and are used in applications ranging from medical devices, to automobiles, to robotics, to power distribution grids. Often during the investigation of a crime, the digital data stored in these control systems is useful. As such, understanding the reliability of the data from these systems is needed. Since a specific study into every networked process control system would be overwhelming, the focus of specific systems is contained to the transportation industry in the form of automotive electronic control modules. Specifically, this report shows research findings on the reliability of data captured in selected passenger vehicle air bag modules. This was done by simulating a networked system in a controlled environment to assess the accuracy of the data. Furthermore, research findings regarding the forensic capture and preservation of data from heavy vehicle engine control modules is presented along with some practical recommendations for improving the forensic soundness of extracting heavy vehicle event data. In addition to the specific studies of fielded systems, a formal methods approach is presented to show mathematical strategies to assess the reliability of the digital forensic data on networked process control systems.
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