Digital Evidence And Law Enforcement Essay

Today, technology has affected our global surroundings in a number of ways. Technology has created a more advanced society and economy. We use technology in every aspect of life today. New innovations and technology helps create a safer atmosphere and reduces the rate of crime. Technology is the usage and knowledge of techniques or is systems of these things. Usage of technology in the criminal justice system is not new but more apparent today. Technology in criminal justice will continue to challenge us to think about how we turn information into knowledge. Due to new technology, criminal investigations are able to maintain and improve their processes. Forensic science, DNA, other

An Internet crime can be a developmental scheme by the perpetrator, using different elements of the internet, and false representation to deprive a person's property or any interest (Kim et al., 2012). Although botched representation comes along, with the provision of misleading information or anonymity of data. In the recent years, there has been an increasing trust of consumers and businesses in the carrying out of particular actions. The amplifying usage comes along with the electronic communication during the act of major business rules. The increasingly rising internet crimes have come along with the global advancement that incorporates internet based conduct of business (Anderson et al., 2013). In the digital era the crime perpetrators, have absorbed the idea of shifting with times leading to the high number of the crimes. The reason that we cannot distinguish between the self additionally the risk trader comes in with internet crime given that a face-to-face communication and monitoring barrier. With that respect, the associated internet fraud has greatly affected by the general allowance, trust, and the usage. The paper will center on the effects attached to social cost, trust, and usage associated with internet fraud.

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

Evidence plays a vital role throughout criminal investigations. Typically, we think of evidence as things such as fingerprints, DNA, and fibers. However, evidence as evolved as the world of technology has expanded. Digital evidence also now plays just as much of an important role as traditional evidence. When beginning an investigation that involves digital evidence, it is important for the investigator to know what evidence to look for. Identification of evidence, collection including transportation of evidence and examination of evidence are the three main aspects of the process.

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,

Data is crucial to the success of any company and they are now increasing their efforts in soliciting and retrieving customer data to learn more about their client's preferences, likes, and dislikes. This, among other factors has attributed to a growing field of data science where data scientists learn to collect crucial data. While there are many types of data, this paper will primarily focus on digital data and how digital scientists can retrieve these data to support provide information for the crown or for the defense. This area has received more attention because criminals such as terrorists have realized the effectiveness of using digital devices to aid in their criminal endeavors (Reith, Carr & Gunsch, 2002, p.2). To combat this, law enforcement agencies are now relying on digital scientists to preserve, collect, analysis and interpret "digital evidence derived from digital sources" (Vincze, 2016, p.184) to help prevent cybercrime and prosecute (or exonerate) suspects. The purpose of this paper is then to illustrate why digital forensic is crucial to addressing the new dangers presented in our society by analyzing the strengths and demonstrating why the weaknesses of the field

One of the drawbacks of computer technology and its use by law enforcement is that digital or electronic data and evidence obtained during investigations may easily be modified, deleted or lost. This fact makes the admissibility of such evidence in court to be contested thus slowing down the prosecution of crimes.

In the United States, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including FBI, Department of Homeland Security, among others, have taken on roles to fight computer crimes and terrorism. The roles and responses of these law enforcement agencies concerning digital crime have created challenges that limit enforcement efforts against digital crime.

Investigating a cyberstalking case presents a unique set of challenges. Evidence can be found in digital form, so it can be protected from being lost or damaged, or the complete opposite can be true and it can be easily lost, damaged, corrupted, or rendered inadmissible in court due to flawed forensic gathering practices. It is important, with cases involving digital media that the same procedures be followed when it comes to collecting evidence. Chain of custody documentation must still be kept. The right software must be used to directly copy any hardware seized or searched for investigative purposes.

Computers have evolved on how we communicate thru technology. People use technology in creative ways that can complicate the forensic analysis process, importantly when attempts are made to conceal digital evidence. The economy consists of millions of users spend hours surfing the web, stay up to date with current events, and take part in many activities.

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).

Law enforcement agencies, especially at the state and local levels, are in the process of getting their hands around cybercrime enforcement. Although federal agencies have the laws, training and resources to pursue enforcement of cybercrime, they only can only address the biggest, high dollar cases.

In a world where technology is increasingly becoming the way of life, it was only a matter of time before crime was no longer just in the streets but happening online as well. Criminals now get a new approach to carry out their crimes with the use of computers. Since technology is more like a murder mystery than catching the bad guy in the act, a new discipline of forensics needed to be put into place. This is known as computer forensics. Forensic science is any science used for the purpose of law. In the case of computer forensics it is “the discipline that combines elements of law and computer science to collect and analyze data from computer systems, networks, wireless communications, and storage devices in a way that is admissible as evidence in a court of law” (U.S. Cert, 2008). Meaning if you do something illegal on the Internet it can be found.

Digital Forensic methods have to be continuously updated in order to effectively combat trends that enable users with intentions of destroying, concealing, altering and deleting digital evidence that can either link them to serious felonies or various computer crimes. Means for tampering with evidence involve the use of techniques that are classified as anti-forensics. Anti-forensics presents digital forensic investigators with several challenges, the greatest being connecting the perpetrator to a crime by identifying evidence of their use of it. If a perpetrator can properly conceal his/her tracks using anti-forensics then even if a digital forensic investigator can identify the use of anti-forensic tools on a system, they’d still have a daunting task ahead of them; proving what user used the tools and how it can be admissible as evidence in the court of law. These challenges have existed in the past, and exist even today as the field of digital forensics has to constantly evolve to keep up with its enemy, anti-forensics. However, experts are currently researching future ways to identify the presence of anti-forensics and some of the perpetrators are getting caught.

A proliferation in the amount of crimes and crime related data has lead to a demand in digital forensic investigation tools that helps the investigator to detect, analyze and investigate the criminal data stored on digital devices.