Project VIC

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About Project VIC Hash Data Scan

Project VIC is a hash data sharing initiative that permits automatic scanning and detection of CSAM image and video content, without having to expose visual content to forensic examiners. Usually, hash data comes from an official source (official type), but the Project VIC function in XAMN also supports management of local hash sets (local type).

Official type

Different regional law enforcement organizations use different Project VIC categories. Set your regional profile in Options/Project VIC. Examples of regional profiles include Project VIC USA and CAID, which is used mainly in UK.

Local type

Collecting hash values for indecent images of children locally within the police force could be useful in many cases. Below are some examples:

  • A computer or server containing indecent images of children has been seized. Create a local Project VIC database and share it within the police force to quickly check seized devices for matches, bypassing the official Project VIC database
  • Create a local database and use it until the discovered hash values make it into CAID.
  • Build a local database to handle gradings within the police force

Procedures

Add Project VIC database in XAMN

There are two ways to add a Project VIC database in XAMN. You can create it based on a hash set JSON file, or add an existing database.

  1. In the ribbon menu, click Options and then select Project VIC.
  2. Choose to create a new database or add an existing database.
    • Create new: Create a new Project VIC database by importing hash sets from a JSON file. The JSON file can be from an official source, for example Project VIC USA, or a local unofficial file.
    • Add existing: Browse to an existing Project VIC database and add it to XAMN.
  3. In addition to running a Project VIC check on the artifacts in the case or file, there are four actions that can be performed on a Project VIC database. The actions are displayed as blue links for each database.
    • Hash overview: See number of matches per category.

    • Settings: See current database settings and change Type or Source for the database.

      Note:

      It is mandatory to set the Type of the added database to be able to run the check. If no type is set, choose between the following options:

      • Official, if you are using an official regional database, for example Project USA. This means that matches are assessed as pre-categorized. For official databases, a source must be specified in the Source text box below.
      • Local, if you are creating a database from unofficial sources, such as from storing hashes before adding them to the official database, or from personal gradings. Here, matches are not assessed as pre-categorized.
    • Import hash sets: Import more hash sets into an existing database.
    • Export Project VIC database for use in XRY: Let XRY do Project VIC check as part of the extraction. Create a Project VIC database in XAMN, export it in a format that XRY can import, and import it into XRY.

  4. Click OK.

Run a Project VIC check

When there is a match on a hash value, the Project VIC check adds the following Project VIC properties to picture and video artifacts: Category, Region, Pre-categorized, and Categorization source. Pre-categorized is set to Yes when the check is done towards a database created from an official source, for example Project VIC USA or CAID.

  1. In the ribbon menu, click Project VIC and select Perform Project VIC check.
  2. Choose which artifacts you want to run the check against:
    • All
    • Filtered
    • Selected
  3. Select database.

  4. Select the PhotoDNA matching to not only grade pictures and videos with exact hash matches but also grade pictures which are similar to pictures in the database. The matching of similar pictures is based on PhotoDNA. Read more about PhotoDNA and how it works.

    Note:
    • PhotoDNA matching requires that the extraction, or a redecoding of an earlier extraction, was done with XRY 10.10 or later.
    • If you select to also grade pictures based on PhotoDNA, the time it takes to run the Project VIC check will be significantly longer. To speed up the processing, run it on a machine equipped with a compatible GPU from Nvidia.
  5. Click Check. After a Project VIC check, the matched artifacts are opened in the Project VIC filter.

Click Check to run the check.

Export artifacts in the Project VIC data format

Artifacts can be exported in the VICS data format. The exported JSON file can be used when uploading hash values and categories using a third-party tool.

For more information, see Project VIC.

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