Thursday, September 04, 2008

When is a Computer Forensic Investigation Needed? (2 of 2)

by guest blogger Jon Rowe from Pinpoint Labs

In my previous post, I identified several primary differences between computer forensic investigations and electronic discovery processing. Next, I’d like to identify some general case categories and tasks that involve a computer forensic investigator.


Case Categories:

· Employment disputes

· Misuse of company computer

· Embezzlement

· Breach of contract

· Software licensing

· Intellectual property theft

· Insurance fraud

· Sexual harassment


Typical Tasks:

· Recovering deleted files and emails

· Internet activity analysis

· Cell phone and smart phone analysis

· Metadata analysis

· Providing results, recommendations, and action plan


Even if a civil or criminal investigation doesn’t fall within these case categories, you may still need to involve a computer forensic investigator. Why? Because it is no secret that computers are used as a primary source for communication, work product, and research. The listed tasks could apply to investigating almost any suspect involved in a civil or criminal law suit.

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