Computer Forensics – What Are They Doing Online?
Computer forensics in the legal sense is ‘gathering and preserving evidence from a computer or storage medium for presentation in a court of law’. lthough commonest in ‘white collar’ criminal cases, computer forensics also has a role in civil and divorce proceedings. As kids become more computer literate, parents are beginning to wonder what they are doing. But that’s usually too late because the kid deleted the history.
Deleting is Not Deleting in Digital Terms
Most computer users believe that delete buttons send their data into permanent oblivion. Nothing could be further from the truth because the data goes to a recycle file. All Windows does when this is emptied is mark the hard drive as empty at that spot so it can be used for storing something else. The conservative nature of the program means this does not happen immediately. This leaves a window of opportunity during which a computer forensics specialist can retrieve the data
How to Beat Computer Forensics at Its Game
There are only three ways to delete digital information completely. The first is to use secure delete software that overwrites the data with 1’s or 0’s. The second is to smash the hard drive with a hammer in order to destroy the magnetic platters. Despite this, computer forensics specialists recovered 99% of data from a hard drive after the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle accident.
Why Computer Forensics is an Urgent Science
There is a third way to place digital files beyond the reach of investigators. This is to hide the device in a remote place where discovery is unlikely – and if it were found unlikely to be associated with a particular enquiry. Guilty parties may take this step as soon they become aware of an investigation. It is thus imperative to copy the data in the first stage of a computer forensic investigation, and as soon as there is suspicion.
How QLD Covert Investigations Uses the Technique
We have a computer forensics specialist on our team adept at recovering deleted information from computing devices. This has helped us obtain critical evidence for criminal and fraud investigations. From time to time, clients ask us to examine their spouse or child’s computer. In this instance, we need compelling reasons to invade their privacy.
Please call 1300 553 788 or write to us if you would like to know more about our computer forensics investigations.
All matters are strictly private and confidential with QLD Covert Investigations. 
