What Is Computer Forensics?
Computer forensics is a type of forensics science that pertains to the legal analysis of evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums.
Computer forensics professionals analyze information on computer systems or computing devices, which could lead to the arrest for
cyber crimes.
The purpose of performing computer forensics is to figure out the root cause for a computer system faltering or failing. Computer forensics professionals may also investigate a situation where someone may have acted unlawfully using a computer or “attacking” a computer with the intent of harming or hacking into the system. Cyber crime is on the rise, which make computer forensics a career field that is in demand.
There are parallels to crime scene investigators in conventional murder or other devious crimes. Was there a cyber crime? If so, what evidence did the criminal leave behind? In cyber crimes, there is potential evidence left behind that is not visible by the untrained eye - just like conventional crimes.
There may be deleted files or fragments of data that can be found in the space allocated for existing files. This space is known to computer forensics practitioners as “slack space.” These criminal investigations require special skills and tools to obtain the unseen information or evidence. Just as a ballistics specialist would provide special expert insight to a legal case, so too can a computer forensics professional.
Here’s a brief overview of what a computer forensics professional would do in a cyber crime case:
After isolating the computer in question to make sure it can’t be accidentally (or intentionally) contaminated, the cyber crime investigators will make a digital copy of the hard drive. Once the hard drive has been copied, the original computer is locked in a secure storage facility to maintain its pristine condition. All of the actual investigation is done on the digital copy of the hard drive.
Computer forensics professionals have a wide group of potential employers, including cyber crime lawyers, law enforcement officials, corporations, insurance companies and even individuals involved in a criminal investigation.
It is estimated that 85 percent of all crimes committed leave a trail of digital evidence. That makes the computer forensics field and cyber crime attorneys very busy people.