Find the key digital forensics or computer evidence needed to prove your case !
About Digital Forensics Investigations
The Activities Performed by the Digital Forensic Analyst
Collection of computer evidence from the original source - Evidence is collected from any device such as computers, laptops and cell phones. This data can then be analyzed by a DF (Digital Forensics) professional who uses a working copy and not the original. The working copy must be prepared very carefully so that the original source of this data is left in its original state- completely unchanged.
Analysis of the copied data - The Digital Forensics professional then uses specialized software and techniques to locate and separate out all the essential information. Evidence can be found in emails, Word documents, web sites visited, Google searches downloads from websites and pictures. Either Apple Macbook computers or Microsoft Window PCs can be analyzed. This data provides crucial confirmation of what took place. Dates and times of when events took place can be instrumental in developing a timeline.
Pretrial or Administrative Hearing Preparation – The different phases of a trial dictate how the computer forensic analyst must proceed. The Discovery phase is the most important pretrial procedure in which the evidence of both sides is exchanged between the parties. Interrogatories and depositions are usually needed to collect all the evidence. Most court cases now have electronic discovery so that the evidence can be exchanged electronically between the parties. This is a much more efficient system than the old way of exchanging the paper documents. This data must be in a certain format that is compatible with both parties. The digital forensic analyst is the coordinator of this exchange since he is the only one who is truly familiar with this technical aspect of the operation. The digital format of this evidence also helps in presenting the data to the court in an effective manner.
Courtroom Testimony - The same forensic expert then prepares pre-trial reports which state the information that he will testify and his findings and conclusions. The expert witness will state an opinion only when the findings of fact clearly show what took place. There are several requirements for the report in order to comply with the Rules of Evidence and established State and Federal procedures.
The expert witness will be questioned by his Client's attorney and cross-examined by the opposing attorney. Often, the evidence gathered by the forensic analyst is the only evidence available to settle the legal matter.
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