Recovery and Reconstruction of Deleted Behavioural Signatures in Digital Forensics: An Experimental Analysis

Abigail Modupe Adesanya¹*, Omokhagbor Abayomi Ayedun¹, Adetutu Miller-Nzenwata¹, Bolaji Ogunshola² and Mofogofoluwa Olaotan¹

¹Department of Forensic Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
²Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author:Abigail Modupe Adesanya, Department of Forensic Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Received: October 31, 2025; Published: November 24, 2025

Abstract

Background: In digital forensics, behavioural signatures, such as keystroke dynamics, browsing history, and application usage, are increasingly important in user profiling and cybercrime investigations. However, the extent to which deleted behavioural data can be successfully recovered remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of recovering deleted behavioural signatures from digital devices and evaluate the accuracy of reconstructed user profiles following forensic recovery.

Materials and Methods: An experimental research design was adopted, using 300 undergraduate students from the Department of Law and Computer Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants were grouped into three cohorts (P01, P02, P03), each consisting of 100 students. Tools such as WhatPulse, BrowserHistoryView, and Windows Event Viewer were used to capture behavioural data over three days. The recovered data were analysed and compared with the original data set using Microsoft Excel. Ethical protocols, including informed consent and anonymisation, were observed.

Results: The recovery process demonstrated high success rates across different behavioural metrics. On average, 93-97% of keystrokes, 95-98% of mouse clicks, and 84-94% of mouse distance data were restored. Session durations were also reconstructed with an accuracy rate above 94%. The analysis confirmed that deleted behavioural logs could be effectively recovered and reconstructed into coherent user profiles with minimal data loss.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that behavioural signature recovery in digital forensics is feasible and can yield high accuracy levels even after intentional deletion. These findings reinforce the value of digital behavioural artefacts in forensic investigations, highlighting the resilience of user activity traces.

Keywords: Digital Forensics; Behavioural Signatures; Data Recovery; User Profiling; Keystroke Dynamics; Cyber Investigation; Forensic Analysis

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Citation

Citation: Abigail Modupe Adesanya., et al. “Recovery and Reconstruction of Deleted Behavioural Signatures in Digital Forensics: An Experimental Analysis".Acta Scientific Paediatrics 8.12 (2025): 27-32.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Abigail Modupe Adesanya., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.