The internet is a huge mesh network of several networks in the world that connects several millions of numerous computing devices which has several applications being used in business, communication and flow of information worldwide. For every advantage we have a disadvantage tied to it, hence this invention has come with new challenges such as cybercrime which has become quite prevalent. This has led to the development of computer forensics to help bring such criminals to book. Computer forensics wouldn’t be a walk in the park without the help of various forensic tools and software. Some of them include:
The disk imaging software which the experts use to record the structure along with contents of the computer hard drive. Apart from copying information in the hard drive, this tool also helps to preserve the files therein as they exist without any alteration.
Computer forensics investigators also use various hardware or software tools to copy files from hard drives and reconstruct the recovered details bit after another. There are some cases where the forensics investigator may need to remove the hard drive from its physical location before copying the details depending on the manner in which it has been affixed
Hashing tools are used to make comparisons between the original hard disks to the copies. Forensic tools are used to analyze the data here before assigning it a number which is unique. The copy is confirmed to be a perfect replica of original data if and only if the hash numbers of the original and the copy match
File recovery programs are used to search for files and before restoring any deleted data. The programs are effectively used to locate data which the computer has marked to delete but the same data has not been overwritten. This, at the end of the day, results in a somewhat incomplete file that becomes a little difficult to analyze.
Encryption decoding software is used to decrypt data and crack passwords and usernames thus enabling the investigating team to gain access to protected data.
Several programs have been designed to preserve information in the PC’s random access memory (RAM). Data stored in RAM is lost if power is disconnected when there is no uninterrupted power supply (UPS) or a computer is shut down unlike the information stored in a hard drive. Without the help of computer forensics software, such data would be completely lost.
Analysis software is used by the experts to carefully sift through all information in a hard drive while looking for some specific content. Owing to the fact that modern computers hold huge gigabytes of data and information, sometimes it becomes very difficult to search for files manually. Some analysis programs, for instance, search and carefully evaluate the internet cookies that help forensics investigators to find out the internet activities of a suspect.
All these computer forensics tools become useful only when the computer forensics investigators apply the right procedures in retrieving, collecting, analyzing, storing and presenting the data for admissibility in a court of law. If this doesn’t happen, legal counsels may rule out that such data is not is not reliable for legal purposes. Computer forensics experts have been enjoying because the courts have been accepting the evidence presented as reliable. However, this may not continue because the rules for reliability continue to hit new thresholds every other time. Anti-forensics experts also argue that it will take just a short period of time before someone can prove that data provided be forensics experts is actually alterable and highly plausible. If this happens, then computer forensics as a profession will take a new direction altogether.
Issues in Computer Forensics
Before an expert can be deemed ready to handle a computer forensics assignment, a huge chunk of knowledge is required. Apart from that, computer forensics experts are also faced with a number of issues within and around this surging profession. These include: 1.Administrative issues - Fitness to practice- there is no assigned and nationalized body which qualifies, check for the competence and integrity of computer forensics specialists in many jurisdictions. This means that anyone can present themselves before the customers posed as a computer forensics expert. This may lead to the results of an investigation being termed as highly questionable in terms of quality and professionalism. Acceptable standards- there are several guidelines and standards in this emerging profession of computer forensics that are deemed universally accepted. This happens because the standards are aimed at commercial forensics or law enforcement or essentially both. However, the high joining fees charged and the fact that some of the authors of such standards have not been accepted by their peers is blocking others from becoming part of these standards. Therefore, the challenge of having a universally acceptable body with such standards still exists. 2.Legal issues - Sometimes it can happen that legal arguments lead to confusion or distraction in the case of the findings of a computer examiner. For instance, we may have the Trojan defence in a PC. This is a computer code which is initially disguised as benign but it exists for a malicious and hidden function. Trojans may be used to upload and download files, log keys and install viruses in a PC. Lawyers may argue that the actions in a computer were actually not initiated by the user but by some Trojan program installed therein. Such a defense has been applied in a court of law even when it was very clear that there were absolutely no traces of Trojan in the computer. If a case is argued in such a manner then a competent lawyer can dismiss with the help of analysis from a computer forensics expert. 3.Technical issues - These are significant issues relating to the technicality and machines being used in computer forensics. They include: New technologies-forensic computing is a field which is flooded with a lot of innovation and new technologies. Coupled with the fact that computer forensics is essentially an emerging field that comes with new software, hardware and relevant operating systems. It is important to note that we don’t have a single forensics examiner who can qualify as an expert in all areas even though they could frequently analyze what could have happened or encountered before. In order to effectively deal with such a situation, the examiner needs to be prepared to test, experience and conclude on the behaviour of any new computer technologies before using them in the field. Extensive networking and careful sharing of knowledge with the rest of computer forensics investigators is a landmark step because you will always discover that one professional has already the given issue before. Anti-forensics-this is the practice where there are attempts to thwart the efforts of computer forensics analysts. The principal aim of anti-forensics experts is to prove that the practice of computer forensics can be manipulated to the disadvantage of the suspect. All these processes may include encryption of data, overwriting the data with the aim of making in unrecoverable, modification of metadata in the files and obfuscation of files or disguising of files. The evidence of such methods, just like in the case of encryption, may actually be stored elsewhere in the PC or a different section where the potential suspect may have gained access to. But with the experience of the Jacksonville computer forensics experts, anti-forensics tools can be used frequently and correctly with a view to obscuring their presence or rather the presence of evidence which had been hidden beforehand. Increasing storage media and space-there are new storage media being reported regularly because of increased research and innovation. Nowadays many businesses and organizations are investing in storage media that handle vast amounts of data. This means that the computer forensics investigators have to continuously invest a lot of resources to develop tools and software that can handle these new media. The qualities of new software and tools should have adequate processing power and ability to sufficiently search and analyze huge amounts of data. Encryption-it is something normal for many organizations and personnel to encrypt data and information in order to prevent unauthorized access. However, these encrypted hard drives and files sometimes prove difficult for the investigators to crack because of absence of the correct password or key. The examiners need to consider that the password or key could be stored elsewhere in the same PC or a different computer that the suspect has gained access to. The key or password may also reside in the computer’s volatile memory or RAM that is often lost if the computer is shut down. This is potentially the other reason why computer forensics experts ought to consider acquisition and application of live acquisition techniques for efficiency and effectiveness. Computer forensics has helped to reduce and essentially mitigate various forms of crime thus bringing sanity to business and the whole society at large. For more information please click here!
With the growing cyber crime rates and a controversial society, Computer Forensics has become a budding industry. The main role of this industry is to find out and secure stored data in the computerized devices, so it can be used as powerful proof in the law court. The initially recorded utilization of the term Computer Forensics was in 1991 throughout a preparation session supported by the International Association of Computer Specialists (IACIS) in Portland, Oregon.
Today, in this article, we will explore the challenges industry faces plus organization management and the business development in the fast growing industry ‘Computer Forensics.’ Development of computer forensics management performance will equivalent to the main stream Business Corporation, catering to the future challenges. The organizations that provide the services of Jacksonville Computer Forensics Investigation will prosper if they follow the best management practice methods for a company of their location as well as of size.
Computer Forensics: Budding Industry Management
The digital equipment or devices such as mobile phones, electronic storage and computers, has flourished in the society to a large extent. With technology advancement, the societal parasites’ started using high-tech gadgets and devices to perform criminal activities. This is because criminals are also using technology to hide or remove evidences or contraband materials. For this computer forensics has been utilized. In basic terms, it is an industry that provides new technology sin challenges facing the present law enforcement agencies. A broadly acknowledged meaning of computer forensics is "the scientific examination and investigation of information held on, or recovered from computer storage media in such a way that the data might be utilized as confirmation within a court of law". Its reason for determining this is to figure out whether there is potential evidence put away in a computer system or other electronic gadget that could be utilized within court after acknowledged guidelines of proof.
Present Management
The industry of Computer Forensics is generally comprised of three types of entities related to business, Sole practitioner, specialized organization and Related Company. Let us define all three of them •Sole Practitioner A sole professional is a solitary individual, often organized as a proprietorship or Limited Liability Company. For instance an effective sole professional is Jon Berryhill. Jon and his wife Kate work Berryhill Computer Forensics, LLC in Benicia, California. Established in 1997, the organization gives "computer forensics investigation administrations to lawyers, private specialists, case help firms, law implementation/government orgs, enterprises and little organizations". Likewise with any small time show, Berryhill Computer Forensics confronts a limited development potential—Jon might be in standout spot at once. •Specific/specialized Company A specific organization might be of any size, yet practically only works together in the computer sciences enclosure. Computer Forensics Inc. (2005), found in Seattle, Washington is a firm spend significant time in computer forensics and finding. They "spearheaded the fields of electronic media revelation and electronic danger control in the early 1990's" They have a complete criminology lab in Seattle and the competence for on location information catch anyplace on the planet. They give "the country's biggest organizations and top law offices with a complete methodology to electronic finding arranging, expense administration, and information survey". They do one thing: computer forensics investigation. •Related Company A related organization is a medium to expansive endeavor that works in a related field, for example, information recovery, furthermore offers computer forensics investigation products or administrations. The biggest organization in the business is Kroll Ontrack, Inc. They are a piece of Kroll Inc., which is a working unit of Marsh Inc., the danger and protection administrations subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. from New York. Kroll Ontrack spends significant time in information recuperation they are the world's specialists in this field. Their case of being "the recuperation business' biggest, most accomplished and mechanically developed supplier of information recuperation items and administrations" has gone unchallenged by different parts of the business. Due to their skill around there, they could refine their information recuperation strategies and offer machine legal sciences administrations.
Challenges faced by Computer Forensics Expert
•Characterizing Computer Crimes A ceaseless test for governments and law authorized organizations is to characterize computer crime acts. This moving target is an administrative challenge for the computer forensics industry. One illustration is attempting to demonstrate that terrible stuff on somebody's hard drive is their obligation. Throughout the beginning of computer forensics, the main confirmation of crime was the presence of proof on a hard drive. Today, it is conceivable to store just about anything on a remote machine without the manager's information. Notwithstanding finding the confirmation, today's machine legal analysts may need to exhibit how information got on the hard drive. Unapproved access to a secured computer system is a case of a computer crime. Computer forensics specialists can discover the smoking weapon of unapproved documents on a criminal's computer and report a computerized bread scrap trail to demonstrate unapproved access. •Educating the public The next challenge faced by the industry of Computer Forensics is to educate those who do know anything about the industry and about the experts who are exploring and destroying the crime scene evidences. Even if in case, the experts are not able to destroy the data or they are not using the exact procedures of obtaining data and making their retrievals prohibited in the court, then it ought to be considered as a Criminal Act!
Diverse Opportunities
Each challenge confronted by the business has the potential for an extraordinary fortune. Successful administrators perceive how to transform each challenge into a particular fortune. As security episodes and the utilization of machines for criminal cases expand, so does the business good fortune. Jacksonville Computer Forensics administrators must be ready to exploit this developing interest for their administrations. "Innovative change disturbs the social framework, a variable that ought to be considered in any launch of progress by administration. As latest technology builds business open doors it additionally expands the test to discover qualified specialists and deal with the change confronted by present laborers. •Training opportunities The hiking demand of the certified and trained staff constantly increasing and so is the organizations that offer the training of Computer Forensics. All the major universities or colleges now offer courses related to computer forensics at both undergrad and graduate level. Computer Forensics firms are growing their administrations by directing examinations, as well as instructing others to do the same. The chiefs of organizations creating preparing projects are including both new business open doors and qualified specialists to the business. •Opportunities of Expanded Business As the computer forensics industry develops, it gives the chance to make new organizations and extend open doors for existing organizations. Data administration experts likewise have another business open door since the rise of computer forensics. Previously, data chiefs were concerned generally with paper items, document envelopes, recording cupboards, et cetera. Today, they additionally are concerned with electronic storage media, since "computer reports might be spread over various physical areas, also various attractive storage gadgets inside any one area.” Staying informed concerning this information and showing others how to deal with their unfathomable assets of electronic records is another administration offering for data administration firms. •Service Quality Opportunities A remarkable opportunity not imparted by numerous different businesses is that, for the most part, service quality is more essential than the expense of the administration. At the point, when confronted with a life-undermining condition to the business, today's chiefs are more concerned with the capability to recuperate certain data than they are in the expense of recuperation. The expense for hopelessly lost information as often as possible is a great deal more costly that the expense to contract an effective criminological analyst. Organizations ready to recover and safeguard digital data that meets proof necessities of lawful system will keep on thriving.
Conclusion
The latest news is that the 21st century has supported the development of another industry: computer forensics. The awful news is the motivation behind why the computer forensics industry is prospering: computer crime. As cyber crimes keep on growing, so should the reactions from business administrators. The Jacksonville Computer Forensics industry is ready to aid business directors and the court system control and hold the computer crime risk. Difficulties confronting the Computer Forensics industry have made new doors for existing organizations and brought forth new associations. Some experts, particular organizations, and related firms are exploiting those new chances to offer computer forensics administrations. Preparing, stretching business, and client administration are three open doors ready for picking in the computer forensics industry. Managers/Directors who recognize and misuse those open doors will see their organizations thrive. To understand more about Jacksonville Computer Forensics click on http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/oceftbrochure.pdf
