The Present Use And Future Trajectory Of Digital Forensics

By Christine Smith


We are living in a modern technopolis, and it is getting more modern and technological by the day. In the big cities, you will no doubt find yourself surrounded by the trappings of mechanization and automation. They are so sweeping and pervasive that they slink their way into the minutiae of human life, and courtroom operations are no exemption. Evidently, technology is an extremely popular and telling form of evidence. Given this application, it will most likely be under the turf of digital forensics new york.

All kinds of aberrations are common in a melting pot of societies. Domestic breaches, societal transgressions, and heinous crimes abound in spades. Investigators may rely on detective deductions, circumstantial evidence, and eyewitness accounts to establish culpability in a particular case, although there are obvious pitfalls in this kind of system.

With the onset of technology, definitive evidence in the form of videos, voicemails, and some such files precluded these sketchy proofs and testimonies. However, with its further onset, spoofs and scams also found ways to adapt and acclimatize to the fussy conditions of these nifty gizmos. Therefore, it became pretty much the norm that data can also be tampered, modified, and manipulated.

This calls for the expert diagnostics of digital forensics. This offshoot of forensic science has to do with the recovery, investigation and interpretation of potential evidence in technological devices. These include computers, network devices, cell phones, laptops, tablets, and related gizmos.

This branch of forensics has to do mainly with computers but it can also inch into network investigations, as in identifying the perpetrators of security leaks and attacks and the source of malicious malware. Mobile device services deal with evidence found in corresponding devices, SIM cards, GPS information, and others. There is also a forensic service for image, video, and audio sources that work to establish these aforementioned tools authenticity and admissibility in court.

There are steps in a digital forensic process. The first, evidently, is identification, which identifies potential sources of important evidence. Next is preservation, which aims to protect data since if they have been irrevocably tampered with, they would be inadmissible in court. After that is collection or documentation. Analysis is the in depth search and drawing of conclusions based on the evidence found. If applicable, data may have to be recovered if deleted, corrupted, or protected by a password. Lastly, the proven methodology must then be presented to the court.

Working in this field is no mean feat. There are certain skills one must acquire before he can qualify as a digital forensic examiner. Extensive computer skills and technological knowhow are givens. Analytical talent is a must, and observation skills are a big plus. One also has to be well organized so that he will to be able to deliver successfully.

There are opportunities galore in this profession. One may follow a career path in the detective or police departments. In law firms and investigative bureaus, you may also be up for the taking. One may also have a corporate job in private companies as computer systems technicians and data custodians.

With the coming years, digital forensics would only grow in importance. Its significance is of no niggling proportions. When performed and delivered properly, they can make all the difference in litigation and the subsequent betterment of society.




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