The collection of digital artifacts taken from a computer or other device, such as a tablet, is a way in which investigators are able to find evidence of fraud, theft, and a host of other serious crimes. With digital forensics, the investigators can find hidden documents, photos, emails, spreadsheets and more from a computer.
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.