Digital Evidence

Digital forensics (sometimes Digital forensic science) is a branch of forensic science encompassing the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices, often in relation to computer crime.[1][2] The term digital forensics was originally used as a synonym for computer forensics but has expanded to cover all devices capable of storing digital data and is now used to describe the entire field.[1] The discipline evolved in a haphazard manner during the 1990s and it was not until the early 2000s that national policies were created.

A big problem with digital evidence is, that the suspects can hide the evidence on any location on the Hard Drive. That means a judge, a police office or a forensic analyst can impossible predict where exactly the evidence is located on the Hard Drive. That implies, that the forensic analyst have to search through the entire Hard Drive to find the evidence

On Friday, 12/25/2015, Cpl. T. Jones and I were working uniformed patrol in a marked black and white police vehicle. At approximately 1340 hours, we responded to a domestic violence call, located at 2040 S. Bon View Ave. While on our way to the location of the call, the dispatcher said a subject threw the reporting party, Erika Alvarez, down the stairs. Upon arrival, I saw several OPD officers attempting to gain access into the residence. The front gate to the residence was locked and the front door, which was located approximately 7 feet behind the locked gate, was open. OPD officers were talking to two subjects, Erika Alvarez and Gabriel

What potential sources of digital evidence do you find at a crime scene? First of all, what is digital evidence? Digital evidence is any information or data of value to an investigation that is stored on, received by, or transmitted by an electronic device. Also, Digital evidence or electronic evidence is any probative information stored or transmitted in digital form that a party to a court case may use at trial. Text messages, emails, pictures and videos, and internet searches are some of the most common types of digital evidence. Most criminals now leave a digital trail;

Electronic evidence is very fragile because it can be destroyed or altered very easily, therefore it is imperative that investigators follow very careful all the procedural steps when collecting electronic evidence (Diversified Forensics). Before any electronic evidence is gathered investigators should determine whether there is probable cause that a crime has been committed, or if the crime was committed somewhere else the investigator should determine whether the electronic evidence will aid the investigation process to prove or disapprove the crime, if a warrant is needed it must be obtained prior to collecting the evidence (Diversified Forensics). Hard drives, computers, and other electronic devices must be turned off, unplug all cables,

A vast majority of citizens in this country are not aware of their rights as it pertains to their electronic devices. By following the practices of digital forensics and the laws set fourth to govern electronic devices. The justice system will become more clear to the average citizen.

This document provides the digital forensic investigator with basic information regarding interviews for a cyber incident. Accordingly, it provides information gathered thru an interview and the process to take. Additionally, information is provided on who to interview and what information to gather is provided; as well as the tools and resources needed. Furthermore, an interview process is explained that provides investigators with a standard operating procedure to follow. Further in the document there is a section that provides the reader with an interview methodology. This methodology provides a model to follow that provides an effective manner to interview an individual. Finally, a section providing information on recording devices to utilize

In order to prove a offender guilty in court police often use forensic evidence as proof instead of others such as testimonies, direct evidence, and circumstantial evidence because it is the most reliable and important type of evidence as stated in “Forensic: Evidence, Clues, and Investigation” by Andrea Campbell.

When our unit arrived at this residency, we knew exactly what kind of evidence we were searching for because the local court gave us a warrant which gave us the permission to investigate all computer belonging possessed, conducted, or governed by the suspect. So, as we conducted our more thorough search, we observed and obtained numerous hard drives, laptops, thumb drives, and related data storage systems, as well as associated hardware which contained thousands of images and videos involving child pornographic content. We proceeded to photograph each one of these pieces of evidence exactly where we found them. We took medium range, as well as close-up pictures of this evidence and added them to our detailed sketch of the crime scene. We were extra cautious and even had another crime scene investigator within our department videotape our walk-through to help record and narrate our time-line, as well. Once all of the evidence was photographed, documented and sketched properly according to procedural standards, our unit then began to correctly mark and package it. It is very important that this step is done during any kind of investigation because if it is not completed, the evidence obtained is virtually useless. The computers we located were connected to a network and turned on, so we photographed what was on the screen first and then unplugged the power cord from the back of the tower. If computers are not unplugged the correct way, then the unit risks losing the files that are stored on it which would greatly impact the case (U.S Department of Homeland Security, N/A). Anyway, once we unplugged it, we placed labels upon all of the other cords before we disconnected all of them, so we knew how to plug them back in later. We placed the equipment in packaging marked as “fragile” and made sure to keep all of it away from any kind of damaging elements including martinets and radio transmitters. We continued to

In the forensics unit for an investigation you have to follow certain procedures when collecting and process forensics evidence. Therefore you also have to follow and know the 4th and 5th Amendments for digital evidence.

When speaking about procedures for packaging, transporting, and storing evidence. I have noticed that there is a general practice of how this should be performed as to the best way to maintain the integrity of the evidence. However, within this general practice, procedures vary slightly from department to department.

Supportive investigation procedures and protocols should be in place in order to show that the incriminating evidence was on the electronic media. Crime has changed since the dawning of the computer age and the need for digital forensics is growing rapidly. Digital forensics has various areas based on different standards and media types, each with experts. There have been major breakthroughs in digital forensics

Physical evidence refers to any material that is obtained from tangible objects such as fingerprints, clothing, hairs, fibers, documents, and food items (Vandenberg, 2014). It is only used in about 20% of all criminal cases (Vandenberg, 2014). The most known physical evidence is DNA. DNA has become

Digital forensics has been responsible for putting away thousands and thousands of criminals. Ranging from simple crime computer crimes to child pornography. To get quality evidence that can be admissible in court there are steps that are needed in preparing a computer investigation. There are also requirements for data recovery, as well as procedures for corporate investigations. “Digital forensics has become prevalent because law enforcement recognizes that modern day life includes a variety of digital devices that can be exploited for criminal activity, not just computer systems. While computer forensics tends to focus on specific methods for extracting evidence from a particular platform, digital forensics must be modeled such that it can encompass all types of digital devices, including future digital technologies” (Reith, Carr, and Gunsch, 2002).

The traditional methods of solving a crime scene is by using witnesses and confessions of the suspect. That method can work but there is now the method of using forensic evidence to link a suspect to a crime and potentially solve it, as well. In the being, the use of DNA evidence was seen as being controversial and challenging by the defense attorneys, even though there were about 17,000 and more cases that used DNA test in 1997. 1 It is important to remember that DNA is not the only type of forensic evidence but it is the focus of this paper.