Timestamp in NTFS System

Timestamp is extremely important in forensic investigation
- Created (Birthdate): File volume creation date/time
- Accessed: Last time File Data was  Opened
- Modified: Last Time file Data was Changed
- Changed (Change in Metadata): Master file table entry was changed or changes in file attribute.

You can remember it as B-MAC
NTFS stores Time in UTC while FAT store time in  Local Time.

Windows Timestamp file is located in $MFT (located in Root of NTFS) 
$MFT Keep Tracks of all files along with Metadata.
$Standard_Information($SI)
​$FILE_NAME($FI)

Things to do when you suspect if the file timestamp is modified:

• Compare $SI and $FI because majority of anti-forensics tool can only modify $SI file.
• Another cool place is to check the /windows/Prefetch - Looks for Antiforenics tools like TimeStoms and parse the file to get more information.
• $FI File is only modifiable by windows kernal (Consider it as a source of truth)
• Utilized AnalyzeMFT for investigation.
  

The above image is taken from Cyber Forensicator website. Please click on image to read the whole article.

Resources:
https://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-19/dc-19-presentations/Lenik/DEFCON-19-Lenik-MAC(b)Daddy.pdf

​https://digital-forensics.sans.org/blog/2010/11/02/digital-forensics-time-stamp-manipulation
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http://cyberforensicator.com/2018/03/25/windows-10-time-rules/