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Computer Forensics : Data Recovery and the Law

Computer forensics is basically the using of computer analysis and investigation methods to find and secure legal evidence. The evidence could pertain to a large variety of computer misuses or crimes like the stealing of industry secrets, the destruction or stealing of intellectual property and even fraud. This evidence can be used by a number of people in a number of different ways.

Computer forensics is used in many civil and criminal court proceedings. For example, an insurance company might use it to determine if there is evidence of fraud in arson, accident or workman’s comp cases. A criminal prosecutor might use the evidence found in any number of crimes in which incriminating documentation can be found on a subject’s computer. These crimes can include embezzlement, drug trafficking, fraud and even homicide. A corporation can use this very specific type of computer data recovery to find evidence of misuse of internal or confidential information, embezzlement and various forms of harassment. Individuals might use the evidence to prove wrongful termination from a job, harassment in the workplace or even age discrimination in a company’s proceedings.

How is the forensic evidence obtained? A specialist in the field will go through a computer and, taking every possible step to preserve the computer system, go through all of the computer’s files — even the hidden, encrypted and password protected files. They use very specific data recovery methods to recover files that have been deleted and open the files that are held in swap or temporary folders.

Then they will analyze any data that is potentially relevant to what they are trying to find. They look at the disk space on a computer in terms of free space the amount of files there are and they even print out an analysis of the entire computer system.

A computer forensics professional also might print lists of the files that might be relevant to what the client is looking for and a list of all file data that has been discovered. They can also provide an expert opinion on the layout of the computer system and on everything they have found. If needed, the specialist might even provide expert testimony.

The reason this work is so important is that, unlike paper documentation, information on a computer is never really destroyed. Even if you delete a file, it usually still exists somewhere within your computer system, and even if you have transferred the file to a CD-ROM or online storage facility, your computer will have a record of the transfer.

Computer data recovery requires very detailed and scientific procedure. If you are interested in the field of computer forensics, you need to learn everything you can about computers and you should make sure that you have a degree in either computer science or engineering and computer science.

There is more to the field than knowing how to build a computer, though that knowledge is certainly helpful. Many universities offer computer forensics degrees with their computer science and criminal justice degrees. You should also talk to experts already working in the field to see if there is any other training required.

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