NCJ Number
179126
Journal
Compiler Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: Summer 1999 Pages: 4-6
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Evidence collection and preservation related to the use of computers in committing crimes ranging from embezzlement and fraud to murder and drug law offenses are examined, with emphasis on the decisions involved and the actions to take.
Abstract
Computers can be involved in almost any kind of criminal case. Investigators assume that all hardware they encounter is rigged to destroy evidence; therefore, they gingerly work their way around each system. They seize the hardware, software, and manuals; they photograph the monitor display, the computer's internal system, and its connections. Specially designed forensics software creates a backup file of the hard disk. Equipment is stored in a cool area away from any magnetic field. Investigators also continue to rely on the paper trails that a perpetrator may leave. Prosecutors prove the authenticity of computer-generated documents both through direct testimony and through circumstantial evidence demonstrating that the document contains information that only the creator would know. Technology to aid crime investigations is improving rapidly. Internet cases typically lead law enforcement computer specialists across the country; some investigations are international. Online criminals and other computer criminals are familiar with computers and use them for child solicitation, intrusions into computer systems and websites, and theft of proprietary information. Photographs