The Importance Involving Computer Forensic Analysis
Different criminal investigations will require different kinds of computer forensic analysis. Thus, between homicide and corporate date theft, the procedure will vary a lot. There are however some general common grounds that are encountered with both procedures. First of all, finding evidence that can be accepted in a court of law is not enough. Sometimes the nature of the evidence is versatile or perishable and the computer forensics investigator has to do everything to preserve it or at least to make good viable copies. Furthermore, the forensic analysis actually starts when the crime scene has been thoroughly searched by the forensic experts.
Traces and evidence cannot be identified on site, it takes professional computer forensic analysis to find relevant details and establish facts. Thus, fingerprint matching, facial portraits from DNA prints, analysis of minerals, textiles, germs and bacteria as well as other elements collected on the the site of a crime get investigated one by one to be proved or improved as relevant or irrelevant for criminal prosecution. Medical exams are also commonly necessary when there are victims involved in a certain crime; medical experts will perform such forensic analysis, giving the answer to the legal questions.
It is the popular belief that a forensic analysis necessarily involves manslaughter or other very tragic crime but forensic analysis serves for a very large number of investigations. Where there is a a case of financial fraud, a work accident, a corporate data theft, a fire and so on, a good forensic analysis could reveal the culprit, and even help to reducing loss and recovering data. We tend to attribute a criminal justice picture to forensic analysis but this is the model we’ve grown used from TV series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; yet reality could be very different from that.
Science TV channels like Discovery for instance also allow an insight of a computer forensic investigation, but they surely present the most spectacular of cases. This sensationalism of violence is an international trend, it affects people from all over the world and it has to be kept under control in order not to harm young minds. Nobody should interfere with forensic investigation because without knowing it one could destroy or ruin evidence and affect the very course of a trial. Let’s leave the drama aside and allow the professionals to do their jobs. A forensic analysis does not make the subject of amateurish investigation as it is a very complex scientific procedure that requires special training.
Posted: April 10th, 2010 under Computers.