What Is Digital Forensics and What Role Does It Play in Modern Society?

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

For this reason, it is imperative that the information gathered is reliable and accurate to ensure the evidence collected can be utilized by the digital forensic investigator for the current case (Ingalls & Rodriguez, 2011). Additionally, cyber incidents require digital forensic investigators to interview various individuals regarding the information needed for the case. According to the National Institute of Justice (2004), interviewing the system administrator, users, and employees of an organization regarding a cyber incident would provide investigators with valuable information; for example, user accounts, email accounts, network configuration, logs, and passwords. Furthermore, for digital forensic investigators to conduct an effective interview, they must have the proper tools and training to employ the interview process. For instance, formal procedures or instructions should be developed and implemented to ensure that the investigator follows a standard during all investigations. Additionally, training should be provided to ensure that digital forensic investigators comprehend by what means to prepare, conduct, and evaluate an interview. Furthermore, resources should be made available for digital forensic investigators to accomplish their tasks; for example, recording devices and references. Also, definitions should be provided to the digital forensic investigators for

Digital crime has been on the increase due to the increasing use of computer and internet. This has led the investigators with another method of fighting this crime. This is Computer Forensics, a process of going into computer hard drive and capturing basic information the user believed it has been erased.

This means that digital evidence is hard to destroy and that in order to completely remove the evidence from the internet, one must possess a high level of knowledge in the area (Casey, 2011, p.26). This means that criminals who conduct online crimes will always leave online trails and it is up to the digital forensic scientists to retrieve the evidence (Casey, 2011, p.26). This is a strength and it also shows us why digital forensic scientists can play a crucial role as they are the few people that are trained in locating the trail of evidence left behind by the

Digital evidence is defined as being evidence that takes form as electronic data, or information stored in bits and bytes on magnetic media. Digital evidence cane range from photos, videos, text documents, internet activity logs, phone numbers, or any other data that is stored electronically that has involvement with a criminal case. Devices that can hold digital evidence are personal computers, computer media, disks, CDs, DVDs, etc. and cellular phones or similar all into one devices and many other types of devices as well. When preserving digital evidence extreme care must be taken. Investigators are sworn in to never change or altar evidence digital or not. Digital data however is very fragile and extra care is imperative. So the first and foremost concern when dealing with digital data is to preserve all data on the hard disk drive or other computer media in a pristine, unaltered, unharmed and unchanged manner.

The world used to be a place filled with questions and answers that could not be found. As the years have gone by, evidence at a crime scene has become progressively more understood and the world is now a place filled with questions that there are answers to. To get where detectives are today, it took years of experiments, building and knowledge of technology that expanded the mind to places that are hard to believe. Technology is the basis of what it takes to find the vastest amount of information that evidence can provide. It can hold, prove and find information that in past years, could not. Due to the advances in technology, specifically through DNA, fingerprinting and lighting systems, crime scene evidence collection has grown tremendously.

Computer forensics refers to an area of knowledge that deals with the location, extraction, collection and analysis

The third and a crucial weakness is the lack of education in digital science. Reports and research consistently indicate that there is a lack of "education, training and certification" (Roger & Seigfried, 2004, p.14) and because there is no uniform certification, there is no gold standard that many other forensic sciences possess (Roger & Seigfried, 2004, p.15). To clarify, the reports do indicate that there exist certification boards for this field, but the problem with these certification boards is that there are specific to a "particular operating system" (Roger & Seigfried, 2004, p.15), meaning a certification for a board may mean something completely different to another. This is worrisome as with no universally accepted standards, it makes it hard for judges and juries to effectively judge the competency of any expert (Vincze, 2016, p.186). Furthermore, there is a proliferation of digital forensic classes as a consequence of the media exposure

To do this they will likely have to go with tools from the corporate world. In doing so they should go with companies that are evaluated by organizations like SEARCH and HTCIA, so that standards are maintained across the board. Digital forensics toes the line between keeping people safe and overstepping civil liberties. Courts and legislators have thus far attempted to protect civilians while allowing law enforcement agencies and corporations to conduct investigations in conjunction with perceived crimes. Digital Forensics is a rapidly growing technology and will continue to evolve as consumer technology

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).

According to Casey (2011), the digital evidence community does not have an agreed certification program or list of qualifications for digital forensic examiners. However, there are several types of forensic practitioners who enter the profession with a bachelor’s degree (“Strengthening forensic science,” 2009). Forensic practitioners require continued professional development and training such as certifications. Certifications provide a standard that individuals need to reach in order to qualify in a profession and it provides an incentive to reach a certain level of knowledge. Certifications also make it easier for others to evaluate whether an individual is qualified to perform digital forensic work.

This manual is to assist forensic technicians who may be responsible for preserving electronic crime scene and recognizing, collecting, preserving, and storing digital evidence. When dealing with digital evidence, these principles apply: The process of collecting, securing, and transporting digital evidence should not change the evidence in anyway. Only trained forensic technicians specifically for digital evidence should conduct the analysis. Everything done during the search, seizure, transportation and the storage of the digital evidence should be documented, preserved and ready for review.

FORENSICS’, its uses, the users of computer forensics, steps involved in this type of forensic

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.