Nilay Mistry is the first faculty of Digital Forensics and Cyber Security at World's First of Its Kind, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar Campus, Gujarat, Government of India formerly known as Gujarat Forensic Sciences University. He is also coordinator at Center For Futuristic Defense Studies. He is GATE qualified faculty and completed his M.Tech. Computer Science and Engineering from Nirma University, B.E. in Computer Engineering from Gujarat University. He is actively participate in various research projects related to Cyber Forensics at Directorate of Forensic Science, Gandhinagar. He is actively involved in training on Cybercrime and Investigations to BPR&D, Bangladesh Police, Myanmar Police, Nepal Police, Defense Wings, Law Enforcement Agencies, Railway Protection Force etc. He is also assisting in investigation of various cyber crimes to various National and International Law Enforcement Agencies.
EDUCATION
PhD Digital Forensics, MTech Computer Science and Engineering, BE Computer Engineering
Integrating geolocation intelligence with ensemble machine learning models for enhanced darknet traffic classification Ngaira Mandela, Nilay R. Mistry International Journal of Information and Computer Security, 2025 This study presents an innovative approach to darknet traffic classification, combining advanced machine learning techniques with hybrid LASSO-random forest (HLRF) feature selection and IP geolocation mapping. We propose a new ensemble model that significantly outperforms traditional classifiers, achieving an accuracy of 96.86% and an F1-score of 96.12%. Our research utilises an enhanced version of the CIC-Darknet2020 dataset, augmented with additional darknet traffic collected over a six-month period. The HLRF selector is employed to identify the most relevant features, improving the model's efficiency and interpretability. Furthermore, we incorporate IP geolocation mapping to provide insights into the global distribution of darknet activities. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of our ensemble method with HLRF feature selection in capturing complex darknet traffic patterns and highlight the challenges in geographical attribution due to sophisticated anonymisation techniques. This work contributes to the field of cybersecurity by offering an improved method for darknet traffic classification and providing a deeper understanding of the global nature of darknet operations.
ReACT_OCRS: An AI-Driven Anonymous Online Reporting System Using Synergized Reasoning and Acting in Language Models Amir A. Shaker Mahmoud, Wesam Shishah, Nilay R. Mistry IEEE Access, 2025 Victims and witnesses of cybercrime often hesitate to report incidents due to concerns over privacy, complexity, and fear of retaliation. Traditional reporting mechanisms require manual data entry, creating accessibility barriers and delaying response times. To address these challenges, this paper introduces ReACT_OCRS, an AI-driven voice-based cybercrime reporting system that allows victims and witnesses to anonymously submit complaints through audio recordings. Leveraging speech recognition transformers, a recent language model, and encryption, the system processes real-time multilingual voice inputs, extracts meaningful content, and classifies reports with high precision using a hybrid voting mechanism. Experimental evaluations on synthetically generated and human-validated datasets confirm the system’s ability to accurately transcribe, classify, and securely process audio complaints while preserving user anonymity. This work improves cybercrime reporting by making it more accessible, efficient, and secure, fostering greater participation from victims and witnesses.
Advanced forensic analysis of Tails operating system and its implication to cybercrime in deep and dark web Ngaira Mandela, Amir Aboubakr Shaker Mahmoud, Animesh Kumar Agrawal, Nilay R. Mistry International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, 2025 The Tails operating system, renowned for its emphasis on privacy and anonymity, has become a preferred choice for individuals seeking to safeguard their online activities. Tails OS design centres around providing a secure environment that leaves minimal traces, thereby attracting privacy-conscious users. However, this very secure design also entices cyber criminals operating in the digital landscape, to use Tails to perpetrate illicit activities, creating new challenges for digital forensics practitioners in their pursuit of extracting evidence. This paper conducts an exhaustive forensics of Tails operating system, aiming to uncover the digital remnants left behind during its utilisation. By analysing the RAM, network, disk, and virtualisation, employing a range of activities and forensic tools, many artefacts are unearthed that provide insight into user interactions within the Tails environment. This research contributes to our understanding of the interplay between privacy preservation and digital evidence recovery, shedding light on the complexities of investigating a privacy-focused operating system like Tails.
DarkExtract: tool for extracting and analysing Tor Browser host-based activities Ngaira Mandela, Amir Aboubakr Shaker Mahmoud, Animesh Kumar Agrawal, Nilay R. Mistry International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, 2025 The increasing usage of Tor Browser, a popular tool for anonymous web browsing, has presented unique challenges for forensic investigators in analysing digital evidence. This research paper introduces Dark_Extract, an open-source tool designed to simplify the identification and analysis of host-based artefacts left by Tor Browser. The purpose of this study is to address the challenges associated with forensic analysis of Tor Browser traces by providing a user-friendly and efficient solution. The methodology employed in developing Dark_Extract involved the analysis of Tor Browser's architecture and the identification of key host-based artefacts relevant to forensic investigation. The tool was then developed to automate the extraction and analysis of these artefacts, eliminating the need for extensive knowledge of Tor Browser's intricate structure. The major findings of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of Dark_Extract in simplifying the forensic analysis of Tor Browser traces. The tool successfully extracts and presents crucial host-based artifacts such as downloads, cookies, browsing history, and bookmarks, which can be of significant importance in forensic investigations. The results obtained through the use of Dark_Extract indicate its accuracy and efficiency in identifying and organising these artefacts.
A hybrid approach for social media forensics Amir Aboubakr Shaker Mahmoud, Ngaira Mandela, Nilay R. Mistry, Animesh Kumar Agrawal International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics, 2025 Social media plays a pivotal role as a rich source of data for digital forensics investigators, enabling the extraction of valuable evidence for crime analysis. This research introduces a hybrid digital forensics approach for social media investigation, compatible with all web-browsing devices. This hybrid approach combines a three-stage classification process consisting of TextBlob sentiment analysis to analyse the tweet's polarity, VADER to detect suspicious tweets, and a crime-type dictionary to categorise crime-related tweets. Using Python libraries, Twitter data is collected using authentic Twitter accounts, hashtags, or keywords, then cleaned, translated, geolocated, and classified. A real-time interactive platform is implemented for crime detection and analysis, bolstering the capabilities of law enforcement agencies and researchers in understanding crime patterns. The research concludes with promising results, highlighting the potential of the approach, and discusses future enhancements, ultimately aiding in crime analysis and prevention.
Cloud and Social Media Forensics Modern Forensic Tools and Devices Trends in Criminal Investigation, 2023
Online Crime Reporting System for Digital Forensics Amir Aboubakr Shaker Mahmoud, Ngaira Mandela, Animesh Kumar Agrawal, Nilay R. Mistry Iq Cchess 2023 2023 IEEE International Conference on Quantum Technologies Communications Computing Hardware and Embedded Systems Security, 2023
An Insight into File Sharing Artifacts Using Xender Application Shantanu Khandelwal, Ishita R. Sailor, Nilay Mistry, Mohinder Singh Dahiya Proceedings 2016 8th International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Communication Networks Cicn 2016, 2017
Establishing Trust: A Techno-Legal Framework for Ensuring Digital Evidence Integrity NK Chaudhary, SS Iyengar, N Mistry Artificial Intelligence Driven Forensics, 211-220 , 2026 2026
A Practical Guideline on Assessing Digital Forensics Risks in Forensic KY Jhala, NR Mistry, NK Chaudhry Proceedings of International Conference on Communication and Computational … , 2026 2026
Enhancing Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis for Indian Hospital Reviews: A Weighted Average Ensemble Approach D Abate, N Mistry 2025
ReACT_OCRS: An AI-driven anonymous online reporting system using synergized reasoning and acting in language models AAS Mahmoud, W Shishah, NR Mistry IEEE Access 13, 92800-92815 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Investigating PTTPoC Communication Equipment and Smart Device Apps: A Digital Forensic Approach. KY Jhala, NR Mistry, NK Chaudhry International Journal of Safety & Security Engineering 15 (4) , 2025 2025
Efficient Dark Web traffic classification using a hybrid CNN-LSTM model N Mandela, Sonia, N Mistry, A Nagpal International Journal of Information Technology, 1-17 , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
A Practical Guideline on Assessing Digital Forensics Risks in Forensic Science Laboratories KY Jhala, NR Mistry, NK Chaudhry International Conference on Communication and Computational Technologies … , 2025 2025
Advanced forensic analysis of Tails operating system and its implication to cybercrime in deep and dark web N Mandela, AAS Mahmoud, AK Agrawal, NR Mistry International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 17 (6 … , 2025 2025
ADVANCED FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF TAILS OPERATING SYSTEMS AND ITS IMPLICATION TO CYBERCRIME IN DEEP AND DARK WEB A KUMAR, A MAHMOUD, N MANDELA, N MISTRY INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 1 (1) , 2025 2025
DARKEXTRACT: TOOL FOR EXTRACTING AND ANALYZING TOR BROWSER HOST-BASED ACTIVITIES A KUMAR, A MAHMOUD, N MANDELA, N MISTRY INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 1 (1) , 2025 2025
‘A hybrid approach for social media forensics AK Agrawal, N Mandela, AS Mahmoud, N Mistry Int. J. Electron. Secur. Digit. Forensics 1 (1) , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
DarkExtract: tool for extracting and analysing Tor Browser host-based activities N Mandela, AAS Mahmoud, AK Agrawal, NR Mistry International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 17 (5 … , 2025 2025
Integrating geolocation intelligence with ensemble machine learning models for enhanced darknet traffic classification N Mandela, NR Mistry International Journal of Information and Computer Security 27 (4), 515-535 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
A hybrid approach for social media forensics AAS Mahmoud, N Mandela, NR Mistry, AK Agrawal International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 17 (4 … , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Exploring the use of tails operating system in cybercrime and its impact on law enforcement investigations N Mandela, F Manna, DA Garibado, S Musaka, M Mutara, NR Mistry 2024 11th International Conference on Computing for Sustainable Global … , 2024 2024 Citations: 10
Process of Creating Custom Linux Kernel with Boot Time Integrity Check Using U-Boot for Embedded Devices P Ghughriwala, N Mistry, S Kunal, T Sukumara International Conference on Information Security, Privacy and Digital … , 2023 2023
Cloud and Social Media Forensics N Mistry, S Vora Modern Forensic Tools and Devices: Trends in Criminal Investigation, 41-63 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Online crime reporting system for digital forensics AAS Mahmoud, N Mandela, AK Agrawal, NR Mistry 2023 International Conference on Quantum Technologies, Communications … , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
Volatile memory forensics of privacy aware browsers NR Mistry, K Gajjar, SO Junare International Journal of Information and Computer Security 18 (3-4), 313-326 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Security and privacy aspects using quantum internet NR Mistry, AY Dholakiya, JP Prajapati Limitations and Future Applications of Quantum Cryptography, 62-81 , 2021 2021 Citations: 4
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Signature based volatile memory forensics: a detection based approach for analyzing sophisticated cyber attacks NR Mistry, MS Dahiya International Journal of Information Technology 11 (3), 583-589 , 2019 2019 Citations: 31
Efficient Dark Web traffic classification using a hybrid CNN-LSTM model N Mandela, Sonia, N Mistry, A Nagpal International Journal of Information Technology, 1-17 , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
Volatile memory based forensic artifacts & analysis R Dave, NR Mistry, MS Dahiya International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering … , 2014 2014 Citations: 21
Exploring the use of tails operating system in cybercrime and its impact on law enforcement investigations N Mandela, F Manna, DA Garibado, S Musaka, M Mutara, NR Mistry 2024 11th International Conference on Computing for Sustainable Global … , 2024 2024 Citations: 10
Identification of factors which are affecting for effective implementation of 5S technique in SMEs of Vadodara region S Singh, N Mistry, J Chavda, T Patel, N Patel International journal on theoretical and applied research in mechanical … , 2015 2015 Citations: 9
Drone forensics: investigative guide for law enforcement agencies NR Mistry, HP Sanghvi International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 13 (3 … , 2021 2021 Citations: 8
Online crime reporting system for digital forensics AAS Mahmoud, N Mandela, AK Agrawal, NR Mistry 2023 International Conference on Quantum Technologies, Communications … , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
ReACT_OCRS: An AI-driven anonymous online reporting system using synergized reasoning and acting in language models AAS Mahmoud, W Shishah, NR Mistry IEEE Access 13, 92800-92815 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Security and privacy aspects using quantum internet NR Mistry, AY Dholakiya, JP Prajapati Limitations and Future Applications of Quantum Cryptography, 62-81 , 2021 2021 Citations: 4
A Comprehensive Study of Vulnerability Assessment Techniques of Existing Banking Apps KP Joshi, NR Mistry, MS Dahiya International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology 6 , 2018 2018 Citations: 4
Review of Behavior Malware Analysis for Android N Padriya, N Mistry International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT) Volume 2 , 2008 2008 Citations: 4
VolNet: a framework for analysing network-based artefacts from volatile memory N Mistry, MS Dahiya International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 9 (2 … , 2017 2017 Citations: 3
Chameleon Salting: The New Concept of Authentication Management B Koshy, N Mistry, K Jain Proceedings of First International Conference on Information and … , 2016 2016 Citations: 3
Integrating geolocation intelligence with ensemble machine learning models for enhanced darknet traffic classification N Mandela, NR Mistry International Journal of Information and Computer Security 27 (4), 515-535 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Volatile memory forensics of privacy aware browsers NR Mistry, K Gajjar, SO Junare International Journal of Information and Computer Security 18 (3-4), 313-326 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
A Novel Methodology For Analyzing Malicious Behavior of The Android Applications NM N Patel, V Ukani International Journal of Advanced Research In Engineering And Technology 5 … , 2014 2014 Citations: 2
‘A hybrid approach for social media forensics AK Agrawal, N Mandela, AS Mahmoud, N Mistry Int. J. Electron. Secur. Digit. Forensics 1 (1) , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
A hybrid approach for social media forensics AAS Mahmoud, N Mandela, NR Mistry, AK Agrawal International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 17 (4 … , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Cloud and Social Media Forensics N Mistry, S Vora Modern Forensic Tools and Devices: Trends in Criminal Investigation, 41-63 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Volatile memory forensics of privacy-aware operating systems NR Mistry, S Kanitkar, SO Junare International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics 13 (6 … , 2021 2021 Citations: 1
