The techniques used to analyse and investigate an electronic storage device in order to gather and preserve the recorded data, so that the findings can be presented as evidence in a court of law, is called computer forensics. There are strict guidelines regarding the procedures which are used when investigating digital storage media. These must be forensically sound, as data must be gathered, preserved and analysed without causing any changes to the originally stored data, before the evidence can be presented as facts from which opinions can be made about the information on the device.
Evidential Procedure
In the United Kingdom the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have formulated a set of voluntary guidelines which if followed mean the evidence will be accepted in a British court of law. These guidelines stipulate that all information gathered must be authentic, obtained using a reliable and demonstrably repeatable method and be admissible. If the forensic evidence is gathered according to these guidelines they should meet the strict requirements demanded of digital evidence in court. Other countries may have a different set of guidelines for undertaking a computer forensic examination.
Computer Forensic Services
With computers and other electronic storage devices being such an integral part of everyday life, there is a requirement for computer forensics for a wide range of criminal activities through to private investigations. Our expertise in recovering data from all types of digital storage device means our services are in demand from many forensic investigators, solicitors, government agencies and law enforcement services who require a forensic computer investigation to be undertaken.
