AI Driven Cloud Forensics: Advanced Techniques for Next Generation Digital Investigations - Pankaj Bhambri

Cloud computing has revolutionized digital infrastructure, but it has also introduced complex forensic challenges that demand intelligent, scalable, and automated investigative solutions. AI Driven Cloud Forensics: Advanced Techniques for Next Generation Digital Investigations provides a comprehensive exploration of how artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, and automation are transforming the future of digital forensics in cloud environments. This edited volume examines advanced methodologies for forensic acquisition in virtual machines, containers, and ephemeral environments; intelligent cloud architectures for secure investigations; and AI-powered frameworks for anomaly detection, fraud investigation, phishing detection, and log analysis. It highlights emerging approaches such as AutoML-enabled forensic systems, federated learning for communication-efficient anomaly detection, AI-centric privileged access management, and real-time detection of data fabrication attacks in decentralized systems. Beyond core forensic technologies, the book addresses interdisciplinary applications across smart micro-grids, dark web environments, digital supply chains, tourism systems, and e-discovery processes. By integrating automation with forensic intelligence, the contributors demonstrate how next-generation digital investigations can become more proactive, predictive, and adaptive. Special emphasis is placed on addressing challenges such as data volatility, multi-tenancy, encryption, jurisdictional constraints, and large-scale log analysis in distributed cloud ecosystems. The book also includes a bibliometric and science-mapping analysis to provide insights into evolving research trends in AI-driven cloud forensic automation. Designed for researchers, cybersecurity professionals, forensic analysts, legal practitioners, cloud architects, and postgraduate students, this volume bridges theoretical foundations with real-world implementations. It serves as a forward-looking reference for building resilient, trustworthy, and AI-enabled forensic ecosystems capable of responding to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. By combining innovation with investigative rigor, AI Driven Cloud Forensics contributes to shaping the next generation of intelligent digital security and forensic readiness in cloud-driven environments.