samedi 25 janvier 2014

What A Digital Forensic Investigator Does

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 computer forensic analysis, investigators are able to get clues about how a person used a computer. They image the hidden files that contain this information. Detectives are able to recover information from storage devices like SD cards, flash disks, zip disks, backup tapes and compact disks among others. They can recover files even from computers that have been defragmented or formatted.

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.

You can also hire the services of a computer forensics investigator if you are a victim of harassment through emails or phone calls. This professional can trail the suspect by preserving logs of calls you have received in your phone or emails sent from a particular source. The detective can present these emails and calls as evidence of harassment. A forensics detective can also analyze email headers and trace the original IP address from which the email was sent.

A computer forensics detective can also perform surveillance. You can hire this professional if you want to gather evidence about the criminal activities a person is suspected of engaging in. The detective may utilize tools like spyware programs and keystroke loggers to get real time information about where and when a suspect left evidence of various illegal actions on a computer.

Investigators also use forensics analysis to discredit or support the hypotheses used by a prosecutor in court. They also use computer forensics to carry out internal investigations in organizations. These professionals usually follow a systematic process to investigate any case. They first acquire devices used to store data such as hard disks and memory cards and image them forensically. They also interview anyone who may have information that is related the case they are investigating.

As you hire a digital forensic investigator, seek to know whether he or she is well trained in this field and has adequate experience. You should also choose a computer forensics detective who can provide expert testimony in court in the right way. This professional should be able to explain the forensic evidence that he or she has gathered in a manner that allows everyone in a court of law to understand.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire