NIST releases new resources for computer forensics community

NIST released Version 1.0 of the National Software Reference Library (NSRL) Reference Data Set (RDS) to the computer forensics community on Oct. 30, 2001. Version 1.1 is due to be released by mid-March 2002. The RDS is a resource for law enforcement, corporate, and other organizations investigating crimes involving computers. It contains over one million file profiles from software including operating systems, database management systems, word processing packages, graphics applications, utilities, image libraries, font libraries, and many other types of software. These profiles can be used to "fingerprint" known files on computer systems and either remove or include them automatically in reviewing files for probative content.

The NSRL is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Computer Forensics Laboratory, the U.S. Customs Service, the Technical Support Working Group, and NIST.

The RDS is available on CD-ROM from NIST's Standard Reference Data Office. Annual subscription ordering information can be found at http://www. nist.gov/srd/nistsd28.htm.

CONTACT: Gary Fisher, [phone]; gary.fisher @nist.gov.