The techniques used to perpetuate crime by fraudsters and other criminals have morphed dramatically over the years. Today, computers are avenues through which criminals steal money from bank accounts, perpetuate identity theft and infiltrate private networks. Computer forensic investigation is more of a reactive step to these problems.
Till now, you may have thought that deleted data is rendered irretrievable every time you press delete on your PC. Many criminals think the same, with the thought of erased evidence driving them further to commit more crimes. What few people know is that it is not too hard to retrieve deleted data from a PC.
This is because upon deletion, data does not entirely get wiped out from memory. The delete key simply instructs the PC to free up the already occupied space. It does this by shifting the data to a hidden register in memory. This essentially means the deleted data can still be rebuilt using custom software and by following a set of instructions.
A large portion of the job of a forensic investigator involves inspecting hard drives obtained from laptops and desktop computers. More often than not, this is done in the context of law enforcement. The subsequent results of a hard drive audit can reveal crucial information on online fraud, the biggest contributor of cyber crime.
Contrary to what many believe, fraud is not the only type of cyber crime. Another common crime is child pornography. By picking the hidden parts of PC memory, investigators can uncover lots of evidence that can help put a child sex offender behind bars.
In the corporate world, forensic investigations play a major role in ensuring financial deals are transparent. It is easy to alter accounting software to report a falsified tax return. Such an act can be laid bare when a company wide system audit is conducted.
In an ordinary organization, an audit may involve the retrieval of original financial data and comparing it with what the accounting software in the organization had reported. The process may drag on for weeks and months depending on how much data the investigator is dealing with. Nevertheless, the outcome is always on point.
IT specialists who major in forensics usually double up as expert witnesses. Where evidence has been retrieved, an expert witness ought to give the court an understandable account of how the evidence was obtained before the jury can pass judgment. This is a field that is quite promising for anyone who envisions a career in forensics.
Computer theft is a very easy crime to solve. Every PC has a unique identifier that its owner can refer to when asked to prove his ownership. A stolen PC is likely to have had its unique identifier erased. Through simple data reconstruction, the police can ascertain the rightful owner of a machine reported as stolen.
Forensics is a growing field and is one of the best weapons that the police have against modern day crooks. If you hope to get into it someday, you should enroll for a technology course like computer science. You may also take a certificate course in forensics to get the skills required for the job.
Till now, you may have thought that deleted data is rendered irretrievable every time you press delete on your PC. Many criminals think the same, with the thought of erased evidence driving them further to commit more crimes. What few people know is that it is not too hard to retrieve deleted data from a PC.
This is because upon deletion, data does not entirely get wiped out from memory. The delete key simply instructs the PC to free up the already occupied space. It does this by shifting the data to a hidden register in memory. This essentially means the deleted data can still be rebuilt using custom software and by following a set of instructions.
A large portion of the job of a forensic investigator involves inspecting hard drives obtained from laptops and desktop computers. More often than not, this is done in the context of law enforcement. The subsequent results of a hard drive audit can reveal crucial information on online fraud, the biggest contributor of cyber crime.
Contrary to what many believe, fraud is not the only type of cyber crime. Another common crime is child pornography. By picking the hidden parts of PC memory, investigators can uncover lots of evidence that can help put a child sex offender behind bars.
In the corporate world, forensic investigations play a major role in ensuring financial deals are transparent. It is easy to alter accounting software to report a falsified tax return. Such an act can be laid bare when a company wide system audit is conducted.
In an ordinary organization, an audit may involve the retrieval of original financial data and comparing it with what the accounting software in the organization had reported. The process may drag on for weeks and months depending on how much data the investigator is dealing with. Nevertheless, the outcome is always on point.
IT specialists who major in forensics usually double up as expert witnesses. Where evidence has been retrieved, an expert witness ought to give the court an understandable account of how the evidence was obtained before the jury can pass judgment. This is a field that is quite promising for anyone who envisions a career in forensics.
Computer theft is a very easy crime to solve. Every PC has a unique identifier that its owner can refer to when asked to prove his ownership. A stolen PC is likely to have had its unique identifier erased. Through simple data reconstruction, the police can ascertain the rightful owner of a machine reported as stolen.
Forensics is a growing field and is one of the best weapons that the police have against modern day crooks. If you hope to get into it someday, you should enroll for a technology course like computer science. You may also take a certificate course in forensics to get the skills required for the job.
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