Monday 27 January 2014

The Important Role Of A Digital Forensic Investigator

By Eliza Mendoza


Modern crimes usually leave electronic evidence. Digital forensics researchers and investigators use various technical skills and methods to find and preserve such evidence. These professionals help solve many problems in computer science such as natural language processing, cyber security and data visualization. A digital forensic investigator is trained to analyze any type of data found in various kinds of devices.

Digital forensics is also known as digital discovery, electronic evidence discovery, computer analysis, computer forensic analysis and computer examinations. Investigators use computer analysis to indentify, interpret, preserve and document evidence that can be presented in a courtroom. It helps them recover erased files that are hard to find especially those found on an unallocated space on a hard disk.

By using digital forensics, detectives can get clues about what a computer was used for by processing hidden files containing information about past usage. These professionals can recover data from flash disks, SD cards, backup tapes, zip disks and compact disks among other storage devices. They can analyze data in a computer even if it has been formatted or defragged.

Electronic evidence discovery plays a vital role in investigations. A good example is investigating unfaithfulness among married couples. Detectives can use GPS technology to trail a person suspected of cheating on his or her partner. They can also recover erased short text or electronic messages.

A computer forensics detective can also assist you if you have been harassed by a person through phone calls and emails. The investigator can trail the subject by checking the call logs or emails that this aggressor has sent. This professional can then present them in court as evidence of harassment. A detective can also trace the IP address which an email originated from after analyzing email headers.

The services of computer forensics detectives are also important in surveillance cases. They can continuously observe people suspected of engaging in illegal activities. Tools such as keystroke loggers and spy ware programs can capture and provide detectives with real time information about the location and time when various activities occurred.

Computer forensics analysis can also be used to support or discredit a hypothesis before a law court. It can also be used to perform internal investigations in an organization. Regardless of the case being investigated, detectives follow a typical process which begins with seizing and acquiring media such as hard drives and memory cards so that they can be forensically imaged. An investigator should have adequate information before taking this step. He or she can interview people who have information related to the case.

People who want to hire a digital forensic investigator should consider whether the professional is skilled and experienced. They should also consider if the detective is able to offer the testimony of an expert in a civil or criminal court. It can be challenging to provide expert testimony in a courtroom and therefore, people should choose an investigator who is able to translate forensic evidence in a way that ensures that everyone in a courtroom can easily understand it.




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