Do you know what the term computer forensics means? Many people do not nor do they understand the techniques involved to find and obtain evidence. Computer forensics is part of digital forensic science, and the goal for the investigator is to examine forensically with the goal of identifying, obtaining, and analyzing digital information. Depending upon the skill of the investigator, the limit to analyzing electronic data is limitless. As with experience, the more skilled one is with computers, the application of software, and digital data, the more knowledgeable the investigator will be with his or her exploration of evidentiary data.
Reflect for a moment on your computer devices and your knowledge of how they operate, and think about how and what you might recover as evidence.
In a 10–12-page paper, discuss the following topics:
• Identify the components of a computer that should be photographed in a crime scene, and explain why.
• Upon entry into a cyber crime scene, explain actions concerning the computer that are emergent and what may result if you do not take action immediately?
• The hard disk drive on a computer contains the data stored in and by that computer’s use. Why does that component have the most value in a cyber crime scene?
• Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA) cut up and compartmentalize data in an encrypted file, making them hard to access. What is encryption, and why is it a concern in a cyber-crime scene investigation?
• Warrants for the content of a hard drive are normally restricted to the relationship of evidence to the crime being investigated. What restrictions are there for crime scene investigators on the data seized while executing the warrant?