The fears are well founded, and it seems to be only a matter of time before someone gets into the systems. Some of the computer systems can control valves and safety protocols used in rigs and pipelines, and if someone were to hack into them and open or close these valves at the wrong time, chaos could ensue. Fires could break out, environmental damage could be catastrophic, and there could even be loss of life. In addition, the computer hackers could gain access to sensitive information.

The hackers of today have the skill to get into these systems, and it can be very difficult to detect their presence in time. While some might not believe this is an issue since nothing major has happened, security professionals are quite worried. They know that the energy industry is at risk, and they know that they need to take steps to increase their security. If there were a disruption in the oil supply, it could affect the world economy, and it could take quite some time for things to get back to normal.

Instead of living in fear, it’s time that these large companies take proactive measures. Increase security systems and have computer forensics specialists on board who will be able to help thwart these types of attacks. The only way to prevent these things from happening is to have a good defense and to track down the criminals so they can’t try it again.

With the increase in these types of crimes, it’s good to see that some areas of the government are starting to take more proactive steps. Of course, California has been investigating these crimes before the creation of this unit. However, it seems that there will be more of a focus on this area of criminal activity now. Last year, out of the top 25 metropolitan areas for complaints regarding identity theft, 10 of those areas were in California. The FTC data shows that California has more incidents of identity theft than any other state, and it was the third highest per capita.

The criminals today are using the web, smart phones, and all of the other types of modern digital devices to cause some serious problems for people online and offline. The current eCrime unit includes 20 attorneys and investigators that will be working throughout the state to combat these crimes. The only question that remains is if this will be enough to handle all of the crimes that they are likely to start discovering.

Chances are that in a few years, if the unit has success, they will start to expand. In fact, if the rate of cybercrime continues to grow as quickly as it is right now, they will have little choice but to add more investigators and attorneys to the team.

Other law enforcement agencies and government bodies around the country are starting to develop their own cybercrime task forces. With enough investigators, perhaps they will be able to slow the growth of all of these computer related crimes.

Computer Forensics

This deals with computer systems, electronic documents, and various storage mediums, such as hard drives. This area of forensics will cover the desktop and laptop, the aforementioned hard drives, embedded systems, and static memory. An example of static memory would be a USB thumb drive. They can deal with Internet history, files on the drive, deleted files, spreadsheets, and more. In criminal cases, forensics specialists have been able to show premeditation on the part of murderers who have information related to killing on their computer.

Mobile Devices

More and more people have mobile devices, such as smart phones. The investigations into these devices often encompass call logs, text messages, and emails. Information taken from phones has been able to implicate and exonerate suspects in various cases, since many of them have GPS built into them, or they have tracking via cell site logs that track devices in range.

Networks

This area of digital forensics is all about networks, from monitoring them to analyzing computer traffic. It’s possible to find intruders on networks, and many companies have specialists whose job is to make sure that these types of intrusions don’t happen.

Those who enter the field of digital forensics will always be able to find something that appeals to them when it comes to work. Whether they want to work in the field of law enforcement or they would rather be their own boss and become a consultant, it’s all possible.

Rader was a killer who enjoyed taunting and toying with the police and this would eventually be what undid him. He had the moniker BTK, which stands for Bind, Torture, Kill, and his narcissism caused him to reach out to the police and send letters to the media. He stopped communicating with them during the hiatus, but resumed in 2004, when he told the media that he was planning to start murdering again. He began communicating with Lt. Landwehr, head of the task force trying to catch BTK. Rader asked the lieutenant if it would be ok to communicate via floppy disk rather than a traditional letter. The police said that yes, it would be fine.

Anyone versed in computer forensics can probably guess what happened next. Rader sent the floppy to a local television station, and the police were able to trace the floppy to the computer that he used in his church. They were able to bring Rader in just days later, all thanks to the hard work of the task force trying to find him and the forensics experts who were able to trace the disk.

This is one of the most sensational cases where digital forensics helped to save the day. As crime grows and takes over the web, you can be sure there will be many more instances of criminals getting their comeuppance thanks to computer forensics.

It’s a good idea for those involved with this area of forensics, or any other area for that matter, to learn how to feel comfortable when they are on the stand. The opposing lawyers will try to derail the case, and the expert simply needs to state what was found and how it was found.

One of the great things about this type of forensics is that the evidence is usually solid, and there is no reason for any type of guesswork. With other types of forensics, it’s often much easier for the opposing lawyers to come up with ways to discredit the expert. As long as the specialist does his or her job correctly and provides the right reports, there shouldn’t be any problems.

In order to improve your skills while on the stand, it might not be a bad idea to practice long before you ever have to go to court for any type of case. Find some colleagues who have been through trials before and have them help you understand what’s going to happen. You may even want to attend some trials so you have a better idea of how things work.

On the day of the trial, relax and recount what you found. You don’t have to impress anyone with your oratory skills. You just have to explain the evidence.

However, it is still possible to confirm those infidelity fears. Using an investigator who understands and works in computer forensics can help. It’s important that the investigator understands the laws regarding this. Fortunately, there are legal ways that an investigator will be able to trace emails and messages, and they will understand the importance of maintaining evidence and making sure that everything is done legally.

True professionals will also draw the line when a client asks for personal information about a spouse, such as their private passwords. Providing passwords and the like to a bitter spouse is illegal, and it violates the code of ethics by which most computer forensic specialists abide.

Still, within the bounds of the law a professional investigator knows many tricks that will be able to catch someone who is being unfaithful. Whenever someone consults with an investigator, it’s a good idea to ask if he or she has experience with these kinds of cases and with using computer forensics to reach a conclusion.

This is just one of the many areas where digital forensics can help in everyday life. Many law enforcement agencies and large companies are using their own forensics teams on a daily basis to assist with solving crimes and security breaches.

Because more people are using technology for their criminal enterprises, it means that businesses are more at risk. Using digital forensics investigators and having them on staff is becoming the norm. While a company may have a great IT department that they believe will help them with their security issues, nothing replaces a qualified forensics expert. They are able to find computer misuse, theft, fraud, espionage, hacks, and more.

These are all problems that companies today face regularly. With the number of cyber attacks and thefts on the rise, it only makes sense to have these highly trained specialists as a part of a corporate team. Some companies choose to outsource their forensics needs, while others bring a specialist into the fold so they will be there whenever they need them. Outsourcing may be a more cost effective option though, and that’s likely the reason that so many companies are choosing it.

Because of the increase in attacks on large corporations, it’s easy to see that the future of those who are in the field of digital forensics is a bright one. In the coming years, there will likely be a number of new positions to fill, and getting a degree in this field now is a smart move.

Today, digital forensics involves much more than simply checking a person’s desktop or laptop computer, though. With all of the other types of devices available, it’s important that the investigator keep up with them. Smart phones, MP3 players, PDAs and other devices that have the capability to store material and data falls into the realm of the forensics investigator.

Trying to hide something from a competent digital forensics investigator is next to impossible. No matter how well a criminal thinks they’ve hidden their trail, a good investigator is able to find little digital breadcrumbs that can lead them to the culprit and the crime.

Even when someone intentionally removes or erases data on a device, the investigator can often retrieve it. They are able to find the browser history on computers, even when the cache is deleted, and they can find information from instant messaging and chats. They can recreate call logs from cell phones, retrieve text messages, and much more. No one will be able to hide his or her crimes or indiscretions from a highly trained investigator.

Because so many people are reliant on technology in their daily lives, you can be sure that the demand for qualified computer forensics specialists is going to rise dramatically in the future. Anyone who is considering a career change and who has a desire to work with computers and help to catch criminals should consider this path. It pays very well, and you will always have interesting work.

The information gathered from a suspect can be cross-referenced with the digital evidence taken from a computer or a phone. This evidence might be able to prove or disprove an alibi. A famous example of this in action is with the Soham murders, where the suspect’s alibi was able to be disproved because of the mobile phone records.

The evidence can also determine the owner documents on a computer’s drive. It’s also possible to view the Internet history of a suspect, and this can lead to more insight into the suspect’s intent, known as mens rea. For example, someone who references a site on poisons or how to commit murder, would obviously have some explaining to do if someone they know or had contact with were suddenly killed by poisoning. All of these little breadcrumbs can lead investigators right back to the criminal, so they will be able to focus their investigation on the right people.

Document authentication can be a valuable way of catching criminals, as well. It’s possible to alter documents easily with a computer, even going so far as to change the clock setting to make it appear that a document was written at a different time. Forensic specialists will be able to identify these altered documents, which can be very beneficial in a court case.

As technology grows, it will become more commonplace to see digital forensics investigators helping law enforcement and giving testimony in the courtroom.

What is Cyber Stalking?

Cyber stalking is quite similar to traditional stalking, only this individual targets people online. The stalker will follow the victim’s online movements, use aliases to try to befriend them on different social networking sites and send constant emails. While it might sound like simple pestering at first, the communication with these stalkers will often turn dark when affections aren’t returned. If they see that you’ve gone out with your friends or a date, they may become jealous and the stalking may increase and take on a more frightening tone.

What is Cyber Bullying?

Cyber bullying mostly affects younger children and teenagers, although adults can be victimized as well. In some cases, a child’s peers at school use the Internet to torment and harass others. They will often develop a pack mentality, and one bully quickly becomes a dozen or more, all of them attacking the child online. Of course, some rather twisted adults can pile on the abuse as well, even when they know that it is a child they are bullying.

While it’s fortunate that it seems as though something will finally be done about these types of activities, the help isn’t coming soon enough.