Computer Forensic Investigations

Nationwide Legal Investigations and Marc J. Tropeano PI are experts in Computer Forensic Investigations. 

In today’s digital world, criminals have evolved with new advances in technology and have become more than your standard thug mugging you on the street. Criminals are more tech-savvy and have found new ways to steal your information. Because of this, private investigators and even some law enforcement departments have advanced their digital landscape skills.

WHEN AND HOW COMPUTER FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS ARE USED?

Nowadays, there are few areas or disputes where a private investigator can’t apply computer forensics. While law enforcement agencies have been using this for a while, there use limited department resources and time due to current caseloads. However, a private investigator has the skill, expertise, and resources many departments don’t have or are unable to use.

Computers are now considered to be the “scene of a crime.” These crime scenes can involve hacking or denial of service attacks on your computer. Plus, a computer may hold valuable evidence in a criminal or civil case. This can range from emails, internet history, documents, and even files relevant to more significant crimes like murder, fraud, kidnapping, or even drug and human trafficking.

HOW CAN A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR HELP?

Nationwide Legal Investigations private investigators do more than just look through the content of emails, documents, and other related files. They also look into the metadata that is associated with all of those files. Private investigators will also search log files as a user’s actions may be stored there. Also, applications like internet browsers and other programs contain valuable information a private investigator will look for.

A computer forensic investigation can reveal when a document first appears on a computer, when it was edited last, and also when it was printed or saved and who carried out these actions. A private investigator also has the knowledge and resources available to do this when law enforcement can’t.

Because of this, many organizations have used private investigators to help with many kinds of cases, including:

• Employment disputes
• Intellectual property theft
• Phishing emails that may be part of invoice fraud
• Forgeries
• Improper use of email and internet use within an employer’s workplace
• Regulatory compliance

ISSUES A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR MAY COME ACROSS TECHNICAL ISSUES:

• Encryption – Encrypted data can be challenging to almost impossible to view without a password or proper key.
• Increased storage space – An investigator needs a lot of space to hold the ever-growing amount of data they will be investigating.
• New technologies – Computers are continually evolving. An investigator may come across new software hardware, or even a new operating system to analyze.

LEGAL ISSUES

• Legislative domains – If data is stored on a remote computer or cloud, this can mean a different state or country, which means a different set of laws for an investigator to work with.
• Legal arguments – These can distract or confuse an investigator’s findings. This can be things like trojans, keylogging, along with a lawyer’s legal arguments.
• Accepted standards – These are standards and guidelines an investigator must work within.
• Fit to practice – Many jurisdictions don’t check the competency of many examiners. Fortunately, private investigators are evaluated as experts in this field by other organizations.

Private investigators find themselves at the forefront of computer forensics investigations due to their expertise and resources. Hiring a private investigator to help with an investigation will help you clear up your time for other parts of the investigation allowing you to continue with business while the investigator does their work.

Don’t wait until it’s too late!