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Mariah Dominique Rucker
Mariah Dominique Rucker

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Cyber Sleuth: The Resistance Quest for the Shadows Within, Episode I

Way out there in a distant galaxy lays an extremely powerful force. Their fates will decide the whole worlds, ancient mysteries and epic battles are made true. The cyber sleuth resistance to destroy the Universe gives rise to a dark side or the evil. But, the universe is rescued by its very opposite—its darker aspect. Dara Palpatine, a dark Sith, uses a different alias to generate enormous profits. Born as a daughter of a powerful sith, Darth Caedus, and Emberlea, she is a woman to reckon with. Nevertheless, the dark riddle is waiting to be solved. Can you tell what she has hidden and make her plans stop?

May the Force be with you!

Star Wars Graphic

Fictitious Character Names

Background

Resistance: Cyber Sleuth
The Sith: Cybercriminals

The Resistance is a faction of people who are fighting against the Sith, the Dark Side. The survival of entire planets rests on the shoulders of the Resistance, which is an effort to maintain harmony and order in the galaxy. The Resistance are a group of highly trained cyber-investigators and the protagonist of the story is a Cyber Sleuth.

However, the Sith are depicted as a sinister presence that lives in the dark. Dara Palpatine, a sith with a lot of wealth, represents them. They have sinister intentions and are trying to take control of the galaxy, or cause havoc on a grand scale. Dara’s parents also included powerful Sith’s like Brambleclaw and Emberlea. The legacies are then handed down from generation to generation.

The Resistance is an effort to uphold peace and justice throughout the galaxy while Sith is the name of a cybercriminal that wishes to achieve the criminal goals. According to the narrative, there could be some epic conflict between the two sides; the fate of the universe may hang in the balance.

What is Digital Forensics

The increase in cybercrimes has led to the rise of another field of study known as digital forensics. listade. In the huge digital device world, cybercriminals work, while digital forensics experts collect, analyze, and store electronic data.

Star Wars Character

Digital forensics aims at gathering crucial evidence that can be admissible in the court. Experts adhere to strict protocols in order to ascertain that data is analyzed in a legitimate way. They have specialized tools and software for collecting data from hard drives, mobile phones, and other digital storage media.

It is the role of digital forensics experts in the fight against cybercriminals and bring about justice in the digital world through criminal investigations and legal proceedings. It is a developing field that has gained importance in the battle against e-crime. Using their skills, experts examine the electronic data thoroughly to unearth useful evidence for a court hearing.

Types of Digital Forensics

The scene introduces a battle between heaven and hell in a distant galaxy. The hero is a selected individual from the Cyber Sleuth. It is the task of the hero to save the universe from the dark side which threatens entire planets. Dara Palpadine, a powerful dark Sith who has assumed a new identity in disguise with a hidden challenge in the shadows, has amassed a large fortune. The road to the other side of the ledger is a challenge, a riddle, whereby an accountant crossed the road. This is a light riddle that plays on the multiple meanings of ledger in accounting.

Digital forensics is a critical aspect of investigations, and there are many types of digital forensics that can be used to extract evidence and solve crimes out. Some of the common types of digital forensics include computer forensics, mobile device forensics, network forensics, memory forensics, and forensic data analysis. Other aspects of digital forensics that are usually employed by investigators to obtain evidence include cloud forensics, email forensics, audio and video forensics, database forensics, and forensic malware analysis.

A difficult quest is set for the hero, who must defeat the dark side with the opening of an epic battle in a distant galaxy. The riddle in the story is filled with play on words, and this makes the story light-hearted, while the overview of digital forensics emphasizes the different types of forensic investigations required for evidence discovery and crime solution in this digital era.

Digital Forensics Process

The digital forensics process involves the following steps:

  1. Discovery: Identifying relevant evidence is the first step towards unravelling the plot of Dara Palpatine. She should, thus, look for devices, file systems, operating systems, and applications that might have been used in her scam.

  2. Recovery: Fourthly, recovery of the evidence takes place. They also include collecting data for instance from her computers, smartphones, hard drives, USB drives, and servers.

  3. Preservation: The evidence needs to be preserved when it collected. This entails making sure that the evidence is not tampered with and it remains secure from unauthorized interference.

  4. Examination: Finally, the evidence is looked at to ascertain its relevance to the inquiry. In this case, the examination may involve some specialized tools and software that retrieve information from the evidence.

  5. Presentation: After that, the results of the examination are presented in a report that includes the collected evidence, the conducted analysis, and the drawn conclusions.

  6. Interpretation: Lastly, the Cyber Sleuth interprets the evidence and the findings of the analysis, and draws leads to identify the suspects to stop Dara Palpatine’s plot.

Data Collection Phase

A tale of finances and digital forensics,
With numbers so great they'll leave you breathless.

In a galaxy far, far away,
With a starting balance of $1 million in cash to play.

Accounts worth $15,812,814 to amass,
24 withdrawals and 33 deposits, no less.

Ten banks each with a unique address,
A test for a skilled digital detective, no less.

But with giving to those in need,
And expenses and debts to concede.

Calculating the final balance,
A complex task, requiring advanced brilliance.

A credit card bill of $312,000 in a far-off land,
And a necklace worth $415,000 to command.

But a refund of $500,100 on a property sold,
A brilliant feat, worth more than gold.

Stocks earned, a grand sum of $2,500,800,
Spent $669,000 on real estate and luxury goods, the cost quite hefty.

A donation of $101,404 for the greater good,
And $1,312,000 in taxes paid, as one should.

Investing $2,100,000 in new businesses,
A risky move, but the potential for great riches.

Now the final balance and spend must be found,
A test of deduction, logic, and skills profound.

Can you solve this accounting riddle and be crowned,
The champion of finances in this galaxy so renowned?
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Dara Palpatine, a dark Sith has assumed a different identity as a way to amass a considerable amount of money. The balance was $1 million and account balances totaled to $15,812,814. There were 24 withdrawals and 33 deposits. Ten banks are involved. It centers on the revelation of the hidden details from Dara’s financial records which comprise of a $312,000 credit card bill, necklace worth $415,000, a refund to the tune of $500,100 Deduction, logic and skills are therefore used to arrive at the final balance and spending.

Examination Phase

The riddle is using accounting terminologies in a wordplay manner. The ledger is a book or a computer account where accounting records are kept. The ledger typically contains two sections: the two components of the debit and credit columns.

Therefore, the punchline of the riff posits that the accountant crossed the road to reach the other side of the ledger, which is a fun way to say that the accountant wanted to post transactions to the other journal or to reconcile the books.

This riddle in brief is a humorous wordplay built on the pun on the word ‘ledger’ in accounting.

Analysis Phase

Using Python

Star Wars Graphic

In order to do so, we will have to list all the transactions and come up with the final balance. A program written in Python will be used to do the calculations automatically.

Step 1: List all the relevant information given in the riddle

- Starting balance of $1 million
- Accounts worth $15,812,814 to amass
- 24 withdrawals
- 33 deposits
- Across 10 banks with distinct addresses
- Gave varying amounts to a dozen people in need
- Credit card bill of $312,000
- Paid $415,000 for a necklace
- Received a refund of $500,100 for a property sold
- Earned $2,500,800 in stocks
- Spent $699,000 on various real estate and luxury goods
- Donated $101,404 for the greater good
- Paid $1,312,000 in taxes
- Invested $2,100,000 in new businesses
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starting_balance = 1000000
accounts_worth = 15812814
withdrawals = 24
deposits = 33
banks = 10
people_in_need = 12
credit_card_bill = 312000
necklace_payment = 415000
property_refund = 500100
stocks_earned = 2500800
expenses = 699000
donation = 101404
taxes = 1312000
business_investment = 2100000
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Step 2: Calculate the total amounts of withdrawals and deposits

  • Subtotal for withdrawals: Unknown
  • Subtotal for deposits: Unknown
total_withdrawals = withdrawals + banks + people_in_need + credit_card_bill + necklace_payment + expenses + taxes + business_investment
total_deposits = deposits + stocks_earned + donation + property_refund
total_amounts = starting_balance + total_deposits - total_withdrawals - accounts_worth

print("Total withdrawals:", total_withdrawals)
print("Total deposits:", total_deposits)
print("Total amounts:", total_amounts)
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The subtotals for withdrawals and deposits are unknown. We only have the total number of withdrawals (24) and deposits (33), but we don't know the individual amounts.

Step 3: Calculate the total amount spent on credit card and necklace

  • Credit card bill: $312,000
  • Necklace: $415,000
  • Total: $727,000
credit_card_and_necklace_total = credit_card_bill + necklace_payment
print("Total amount spent on credit card and necklace:", credit_card_and_necklace_total) 
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Step 4: Calculate the total amount earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods

  • Stocks earned: $2,500,800
  • Real estate and luxury goods spent: $699,000
  • Total: $1,801,800

Assuming the amounts are in USD, the total earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods:

stocks_earned = 2500800
real_estate_and_luxury_spent = 699000

total = stocks_earned - real_estate_and_luxury_spent

print("Total amount earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods: $" + str(total))
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Total amount earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods: $1,801,800

Therefore, the total amount earned from stocks after subtracting the amount spent on real estate and luxury goods is $1,801,800.

Step 5: Calculate the total amount donated and paid in taxes

  • Donations: $101,404
  • Taxes: $1,312,000
  • Total: $1,413,404
donations = 101404
taxes = 1312000
total = donations + taxes
print("Total amount donated: ${}".format(donations))
print("Total taxes paid: ${}".format(taxes))
print("Total: ${}".format(total))
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Step 6: Calculate the total starting balance with accounts amassed

  • Starting balance: $1,000,000
  • Accounts amassed: $15,812,814
  • Total: $16,812,814

To calculate the total starting balance with accounts amassed in Python, we can simply add the starting balance of $1,000,000 to the accounts amassed value of $15,812,814.

starting_balance = 1000000
accounts_amassed = 15812814
total_balance = starting_balance + accounts_amassed

print("Total starting balance: ${:,.2f}".format(total_balance))
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Therefore, the total starting balance with accounts amassed is $16,812,814.

Step 7: Calculate the total amount invested in new businesses

  • Total investment: $2,100,000
total_investment = 2100000
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Step 8: Calculate the final balance

starting_balance = 1000000
accounts_worth = 15812814
withdrawals = 24
deposits = 33
banks = 10
people_in_need = 12
credit_card_bill = 312000
necklace_payment = 415000
property_refund = 500100
stocks_earned = 2500800
donation = 101404
taxes = 1312000
business_investment = 2100000
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Final Balance = Starting balance + deposits - withdrawals + stocks earned - real estate and luxury goods spent - credit card and necklace - donations - taxes + new business investment
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final_balance = starting_balance + accounts_worth - withdrawals + deposits - banks - people_in_need - credit_card_bill - necklace_payment + property_refund + stocks_earned - expenses - donation - taxes - business_investment
print(final_balance) 
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Dara Palpatine’s financial position is influenced by multiple factors, and therefore, the final balance in this scenario will always be unpredictable. For instance, $1,000,000 is the starting balance, which is a fixed value. Nevertheless, other factors like the worth of accounts, withdrawals, deposits, withdrawals, expenses, stocks earned, and taxation can make the balance tip in either way.

There are also external factors such as banks, credit card bills, investments, and refunds that may affect the balance. For example, if the Dara Palpatine invested $2,100,000 for business or $415,000 as a diamond payment, then the balance would be drastically changed.

The donation made to the sith and the people in need can also oscillate the final balance, but the donation can reduce the balance. The people in need might offer ancillary benefits that counteract the reduction.

The Sith

It often becomes difficult or impossible to estimate the final balance because it is composed of numerous interlinked variables. Thus, the value will always become undecided.

Step 9: Calculate the unknowns from the relevant information previously listed

  • Subtotal for withdrawals: Unknown
  • Subtotal for deposits: Unknown

The subtotals for withdrawals and deposits are unknown. We only have the total number of withdrawals (24) and deposits (33), but we don't know the individual amounts.

Step 10: Compute the final balance and total amount spent in the end

  • Final balance: Unknown (step 8)
  • Total amount spent: Unknown (step 10)
total_spent = withdrawals + expenses + credit_card_bill + necklace_payment + taxes + business_investment
total_spent += sum(accounts_worth)/banks - starting_balance - property_refund
total_spent -= stocks_earned
total_spent -= sum(accounts_worth)/people_in_need
total_spent -= donation
print("Total Spent:", total_spent)
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Financial transactions are unpredictable and always in flux. They, therefore, will always have an effect on the total amount of money spent. In our case, we have $1,000,000 as the basis for our financial activities during the period under consideration. Dara Palpatine has $15,812,814 in his accounts, hence, showing that he’s wealthy.

Nevertheless, as Dara Palpatine carries out withdrawals and deposits, the total spent begins to fluctuate. An initial balance of $1,000,000 is altered by the unknown amounts of the 24 withdrawals and 33 deposits. Also, there are others bills and expenses to be paid like the credit card bill of $312,000 and necklace payment of $415,000. These bills and expenses reduce the overall balance left after having paid them.

Kylo fight Rey

Simultaneously, Dara Palpatine also receives a property refund of $500,100, earns $2,500,800 in stocks, invests in a business worth $2,100,000, and makes a donation of $101,404, which increases the balance from what has been spent.

Entire Code for the 10 Steps

# Step 1: List all the relevant information given in the riddle

starting_balance = 1000000
accounts_worth = 15812814
withdrawals = 24
deposits = 33
banks = 10
people_in_need = 12
credit_card_bill = 312000
necklace_payment = 415000
property_refund = 500100
stocks_earned = 2500800
expenses = 699000
donation = 101404
taxes = 1312000
business_investment = 2100000

# Step 2: Calculate the total amounts of withdrawals and deposits

total_withdrawals = withdrawals + banks + people_in_need + credit_card_bill + necklace_payment + expenses + taxes + business_investment
total_deposits = deposits + stocks_earned + donation + property_refund
total_amounts = starting_balance + total_deposits - total_withdrawals - accounts_worth

print("Total withdrawals:", total_withdrawals)
print("Total deposits:", total_deposits)
print("Total amounts:", total_amounts)

# Step 3: Calculate the total amount spent on credit card and necklace

credit_card_and_necklace_total = credit_card_bill + necklace_payment
print("Total amount spent on credit card and necklace:", credit_card_and_necklace_total)

# Step 4: Calculate the total amount earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods

stocks_earned = 2500800
real_estate_and_luxury_spent = 699000

total = stocks_earned - real_estate_and_luxury_spent

print("Total amount earned from stocks and spent on real estate and luxury goods: $" + str(total))

# Step 5: Calculate the total amount donated and paid in taxes

donations = 101404
taxes = 1312000
total = donations + taxes
print("Total amount donated: ${}".format(donations))
print("Total taxes paid: ${}".format(taxes))
print("Total: ${}".format(total))

# Step 6: Calculate the total starting balance with accounts amassed

starting_balance = 1000000
accounts_amassed = 15812814
total_balance = starting_balance + accounts_amassed
print("Total starting balance: ${:,.2f}".format(total_balance))

# Step 7: Calculate the total amount invested in new businesses

total_investment = 2100000

# Step 8: Calculate the final balance

final_balance = starting_balance + accounts_worth - withdrawals + deposits - banks - people_in_need 
- credit_card_bill - necklace_payment + property_refund + stocks_earned - expenses - donation - taxes - business_investment
print(final_balance) 

# Step 9: Calculate the unknowns from the relevant information previously listed

''' 
The subtotals for withdrawals and deposits are unknown. We only have the total number of withdrawals (24) and deposits (33), 
but we don't know the individual amounts.
'''

# Step 10: Calculate the final balance and total amount spent in the end

total_spent = withdrawals + expenses + credit_card_bill + necklace_payment + taxes + business_investment
total_spent += sum(accounts_worth)/banks - starting_balance - property_refund
total_spent -= stocks_earned
total_spent -= sum(accounts_worth)/people_in_need
total_spent -= donation
print("Total Spent:", total_spent)
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The exact amount spent is yet to be identified and it continues to change. Another element that makes the situation complex is the number of banks involved as well as Sith’s. These are the factors that make financial transactions unpredictable and volatile and reinforce the idea that the total spent will be different and not known.

Reporting Phase

It is quite difficult to calculate the final balance based on this information. However, many of the transactions can be traced and adjusted to the starting balance.

Starting balance: $1,000,000

Deposits: $15,812,814

Withdrawals: 24

Deposits: 33

Banks: 10

People in need: 12

Credit card bill: -$312,000

Necklace: -$415,000

Real estate and luxury goods: -$699,000

Donations: -$101,404

Taxes: -$1,312,000

Investments: -$2,100,000

Refund from property sale: $500,100

Stock earnings: $2,500,800

Total expenses: -$4,029,404 (credit card bill + necklace + real estate and luxury goods + taxes + donations)

Total income: $18,313,714 (starting balance + deposits + refund + stock earnings)

Total spent: $4,545,404 (Credit card bill + Necklace + Real estate and luxury goods + Taxes + Donations)

Adjusted balance: $14,768,310  (total income - total spent)
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Hence, the final balance is technically $14,768,310 (step 8) and the total amount spent is technically $4,545,404 (step 10). However, it is not the most accurate calculation since we take into account only the different bank accounts and the amounts given to ten people in need. This still gives a rough estimate of the final balance with the information provided. These will also include in total expenses, income, adjusted balance and withdrawal.

Star Wars Image

The starting balance of $1 million will be altered by the deposits and withdrawals that occur during the transaction. The remaining adjusted balance will also include the $15,812,814 in the accounts. The adjustment balance and withdrawals are dependent on a number of things including income and expenditures. The given to a dozen people in need, the credit card bill, payment for a necklace, refund from the sale of a property, earnings in stocks, expenses on real estate and luxury goods Moreover, the fact that the transactions took place in 10 separate banks with different addresses may have an impact on these figures as transaction fees and exchange rates may vary between the institutions.

Conclusion

The riddle is the challenge. It is based on the terminology of accounting. In particular, the riddle is a pun concerning the word “ledger,” which can be read as a ledger for keeping the accounts and flat stone for covering a grave. The punchline means that an accountant crossed the road in order to get to “the other side of the ledger”, as the other side is referred to as, to take note of transactions as well as reconcile the financial statements.

There are also other aspects of this puzzle such as the evidence collection details that include the calculations involved in this challenge. Given the information, the final balance at the end of transactions at the close is estimated to be $14,768,310. However, this is not an exact calculation because the issue of different bank accounts and amounts given to needy people are not considered. The final answer will comprise of the starting balance of $1 million, the accounts worth $15,812,814, plus all the transactions involving expenses, income, adjusted balance, and withdrawals.

This challenge involves accounting knowledge, solving problems, and being attentive to detail so that to decipher the mystery and make the appropriate sums to save the Universe from the evildoer Dara Palpatine of the Dark Side.

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