6 Tips to help you avoid Scams and Trolls on Twitter

Twitter has gone from a silly, novelty social media platform to a source of news and information that almost everyone uses!

But just like other social media networks, Twitter is full of trolls and scammers who aim to harass and provoke you.

You need to know how to avoid scams and trolls on Twitter, here’s how.

1. Don’t be scared to block. It is vital that you know how and when to block someone, whether they are spamming you or bullying, you need to get rid of them before you end up infected with dangerous followers. The sooner you block the spammers or trolls, the better!

2. Don’t get hacked. Twitter accounts get hacked on a regular basis, so it is vital that you keep your account safe by using a strong password that has different numbers, symbols as well as upper and lowercase letters. It is best to use two-factor authentication. Even if it takes longer, it’s worth it to keep your account safe.

3. Don’t be fooled by trending topics. Twitter created trending topics and hashtags to make it easier to find content, but be careful because scammers love to hijack trending topics and add harmful and dangerous links that victims unknowingly click on without thinking.

4. Don’t trust shortened URLs. Just like trending topics, scammers and trolls love to use URL shorteners because they hide the ultimate endpoint of the link. If you see a shortened URL, make sure to check that it is coming from a trusted source. If not, do not click on it!

5. Don’t share your private information. This is an obvious one, but people still do not know not to share their personal information. Sharing your private information on social media platforms with millions and millions of strangers makes you an easy target for scammers and crimes such as identity theft.

6. Don’t ever use public Wi-Fi. It is best not to use other people’s computers as well as any public computers to log in to your Twitter account or any other personal account. Do not trust public Wi-Fi hotspots either as they make it easy for hackers to steal your passwords and other private information.

Use these six tips for Twitter as well as other social media platforms to keep your personal data safe and sound!

To learn more about Open Source Intelligence and Digital Forensics, please call us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | info@tcgforensics.co.za

Let us recover your Digital Evidence quickly and easily!

People use their computers for almost everything; many of these things can be used against you. Hiding money, illegal activities, inappropriate emails and just about anything you can think of.

Often, if you are trying to hide something, you’ll make an effort to completely clean out your computer by deleting “everything” and reformatting. The problem is, when you contact IT support and you are told that all is lost, they probably have no idea what a digital forensic investigator can do!

The harsh truth is that the evidence is still there waiting to be found you just can’t see it. The only question is – do you want it recovered or not?

Many businesses that have a disgruntled employee, or feel that an employee is involved in unacceptable activities at work, may want to acquire some digital evidence, they can use a digital forensic investigator to recover all the evidence that they need.

We at TCG Digital Forensics are pleased to provide all the evidence that you need off of a computer, cellular device, laptop or tablet. The obvious advantage that we have here is that we recover digital evidence that few others could and keep all affairs private.

Need something recovered? Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 087 001 0523 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za

What can you do to keep your Broken Phone’s Data Safe?

Only you know how valuable the data on your mobile phone is, what you do with the information is up to you. So, do you know how to keep your personal data safe on your phone when it suddenly breaks?

The answer isn’t a simple one – how do you use your phone when the screen is cracked? It happens a lot more often than you think. The question is what do you do to protect your data when you can’t use your phone properly?

Here are a few things you can do to make it difficult for anyone without professional forensic skills to get to your stuff…

      1.       Use a secure lock screen – Swiping to unlock is easy enough for a monkey to do, so make sure you always lock it properly!

      2.       Set up Find My Device – Install Find My iPhone on your iPhone or Find My Device on your Android from Google Play Protect. Even if you can’t use the phone you can still access the data.

      3.       Change your Password – Use another device to change your Google password, this extra step will stop anyone from accessing your data and ensuring damage is minimal.

      4.       You may need to speak to a Professional – If you feel your data is precious enough to stress over, then you need to hire someone such as a professional digital forensic expert to assist you in retrieving or destroying it.

Looking for both cellular and computer forensics services? TCG Forensics is a digital forensics company in South Africa that is always at your service. We generally work directly for private investigators, polygraph examiners, attorneys and similar parties although we can accept a direct brief from a corporate entity that requires our services. We are able to assist bona fide law enforcement agencies with the procurement of forensic software and hardware once credentials have been verified.

The Forensic Division

Digital Forensics (cellular & computer based) requires much more than a well-developed software that can be purchased over the internet. It requires a thorough understanding of the investigative process, the law of evidence, excellent problem solving skills, a strong attention to detail as well as an appropriate background to criminal and civil investigations. 

We combine the experience of seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to achieve the results that you require. 

Cellular phones all carry data on them – often more than we realize. Cellular forensics is the science of retrieving what is seen as well as what has been erased. We are able to achieve full recovery of deleted text messages, WhatsApp conversations and images.

Computers hold a wealth of information unseen. To the untrained eye, data may well be gone, deleted forever. This is however most commonly not the case.

Using state-of-the-art software and hardware processes we are able to recover e-mails, conversation threads, photographs, files and related data to show traces of what has been done when and how on computers, laptops and tablets.

Our forensic services are designed around the needs of attorneys, investigators and forensics audits, but also cover a wider scope. Some of the digital forensic and cellular forensic services we provide, in Cape Town and nationally, are:

      -          Cellular Forensics (Full profile)

      -          Data Recovery

      -          SMS Recovery

      -          Recovery of Chat History

      -          Recovery of WhatsApp History

      -          Digital Suspect Profiling

      -          Digital Image Verification

      -          Image Enhancement

      -          CCTV Footage Enhancement

      -          Password Recovery

      -          Mail Recovery

Should you require our assistance with forensic assessment of a cellular device, tablet, computer, laptop or server, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Our offices are based in Cape Town; however we have reach to the rest of the country as required.

Contact The TCG Forensic Division today to discuss your requirements - call 079 691 0138 or email craig@tcgforensics.co.za

How Digital Forensics can Help Convict Criminals

When it comes to using computers for crime, it is impossible for the evidence to just disappear. Digital forensics has become a crucial tool that is used to find out a criminals motives, actions and location. 

The TCG Forensic Division uses the latest forensic technology and the most qualified investigators to find the evidence that you need. If you are in need of forensic recovery services, feel free to contact the TCG Forensic Division on 082 886 8327 / 087 001 0511/2 or email info@cellularforensics.co.za

When Kari Baker, a 31 year old teacher, died of a sleeping pill overdose everyone thought she had taken her own life. Her body was found with a suicide letter and a bottle of sleeping pills close by, but her family had suspicions that it was her husband, Matt, that was responsible for her death.

Because of problems that occurred in the investigation of Kari’s death, Matt walked free. However new evidence emerged when Kari’s parents instigated a wrongful death lawsuit.

Apparently the story of Kari killing herself was completely wrong! It came to light that Matt had really killed his wife. He slipped her some sleeping pills, waited for her to fall asleep and then suffocated her with a pillow.

The real evidence though was the important data recovered from his laptop’s hard drive and the main computer server at the youth centre where he worked. Digital forensic specialists were able to pull up data and reveal that Matt had searched online for information about overdosing on sleeping pills and he even looked at pharmaceutical websites after she died.

A computer forensic expert who was involved in the case also discovered that Matt regularly looked at pornographic websites and sites where married people went to have affairs.

Matt Baker was sentenced to 65 years in prison for murdering his wife Kari.

Technology continues to play an important role in our everyday lives, because of this digital forensics has found a way for experts to convict criminals using digital evidence.

What Exactly is Computer Forensics?

The field of computer forensics has grown to become a science in itself. Computer forensics is also known as cyber forensics. It involves applying computer investigation and analysis techniques to solve a crime and provide evidence to support a case. Investigators often use proprietary forensic applications and software programs to examine computer hard drives, extract certain types of data from files and folders, and also to recover information from encrypted files. This digital information must be organized and documented into an official report form to be presented in a court of law.

Computer Forensics Defined

The computer forensics definition can be broken down into several technical aspects of the actual science of computer forensics. The general definition of computer forensics is the processes and investigative methods used to find digital evidence and prepare it for legal proceedings. The more in-depth definition includes the preservation of media and data, identification of computer-related evidence, extraction of the data and interpretation. Interpretation is perhaps the most important element of the computer forensics definition because this is where forensics experts must draw conclusions from a formal forensic analysis.

Throughout the process of data gathering and interpretation, the computer forensics specialist must document everything in a structured fashion. They must report exactly what types of investigations were performed and document all of the steps taken to retrieve various files, folders and data. The courts can then apply various types of methodology and testimonies in order to determine whether evidence presented can actually be used in the legal proceedings. This is why computer forensics specialists must learn about the different legal processes involved in an investigation and make sure that there is always a high level of integrity of evidence.

Why the Computer Forensics Definition Can Change

It's important to recognize that there are two main types of computer forensics investigations so the computer forensics definition can change. The first involves investigations where a computer or digital technologies were used to perform the crime (cybercrime). The second is when a computer is used as the target of a crime, such as when a hacker retrieves sensitive information or someone has their identity stolen online. In both of these situations, the computer forensics definition may change slightly because the investigator uses different techniques and methodologies to solve the crime.

The digital forensic experts from DLA use their knowledge of investigation and forensic software to find and reveal the computer or mobile forensic evidence that your require.

When should you consider using computer forensics?

If any form of digital information is even remotely involved in a case or legal situation, a computer forensic examination will be required. Digital information has invaded virtually every aspect of our day-to-day existence, having become a basic component of our lives, from computers, to smartphones, to social networking, digital information plays a crucial role in almost every case.

Computer forensics differs from data recovery, which is, recovery of data after an event affecting the physical data, such as a hard drive crash. Computer forensics goes much further. Computer forensics is a complete computer examination with intricate analysis of digital information being the ultimate goal.

For a successful forensics examination, you must have all the information relevant to a matter, not only to construct effective legal strategies, but also to focus your expectations and efficiently budget your services. There is nothing more difficult to address than a case which has become complicated by new facts, where you once expected the matter to proceed smoothly and without significant cost. Knowing all the facts early in a matter, allows you to better prepare for those cases that will require significant legal expertise to manage.

In response to pending litigation, analysing your relevant ESI is an excellent way to discharge your duties to preserve evidence and avoid spoliation, while also acquiring all relevant information essential to your legal theories and strategies. Similarly, as part of critical business decisions, forensically analysing relevant computers and devices can provide essential information. For example, analysing the computers of corporate officers or employees as part of the termination process can alert you to possible litigation issues such as violation of non-compete agreements, improper copying of intellectual property, etc.

To prepare for litigation, an attorney ought to determine whether a Request for Production of Documents will obtain all relevant evidence. A simple question to ask is whether you want to discover part of the relevant information (i.e. visible by your opponent’s operating system) or all of it (deleted, hidden, orphaned data, etc). It is not unrealistic to anticipate that information contained on a computer system which is helpful to a matter would be saved, while that which is harmful would be deleted, hidden, or rendered invisible. For example, in sexual harassment cases, it is not unusual to discover deleted emails and other data invisible to the operating system that significantly impacts the case. Computer forensic analysis extracts all the emails, memos, and other data that can be viewed with the operating system, as well as all invisible data. In many cases, the invisible data completely changes the nature of a claim or defense, often leading to early settlement and avoiding surprises during litigation.

In any situation in which one or more computers may have been used in an inappropriate manner, it is essential to call a forensic expert. Only a computer forensic analyst will be able to preserve, extract, and analyze the vital data that records the “tracks” left behind by inappropriate use. Taking the wrong steps in these circumstances can irrevocably destroy the vestiges of wrongful use that may result in litigation or criminal prosecution.

Digital, computer and mobile forensics requires much more than what you may think. At DLA, our seasoned investigators use a special set of skills and tools to recover or find the digital data that you need!

How Computer Forensics Works - Standards of Evidence

If the investigators believe the computer system is only acting as a storage device, they usually aren't allowed to seize the hardware itself. This limits any evidence investigation to the field. On the other hand, if the investigators believe the hardware itself is evidence, they can seize the hardware and bring it to another location. For example, if the computer is stolen property, then the investigators could seize the hardware.

In order to use evidence from a computer system in court, the prosecution must authenticate the evidence. That is, the prosecution must be able to prove that the information presented as evidence came from the suspect's computer and that it remains unaltered.

Although it's generally acknowledged that tampering with computer data is both possible and relatively simple to do, the courts so far haven't discounted computer evidence completely. Rather, the courts require proof or evidence of tampering before dismissing computer evidence.

Another consideration the courts take into account with computer evidence is hearsay. Hearsay is a term referring to statements made outside of a court of law. In most cases, courts can't allow hearsay as evidence. The courts have determined that information on a computer does not constitute hearsay in most cases, and is therefore admissible.

If the computer records include human-generated statements like e-mail messages, the court must determine if the statements can be considered trustworthy before allowing them as evidence. Courts determine this on a case-by-case basis.

DLA is based in Cape Town and combines the experience of two seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to follow the electronic trail and find the digital evidence you need!

How Computer Forensics Works - Phases of a Computer Forensics Investigation

The experts at DLA listed the following steps every digital forensic investigators should follow to retrieve digital evidence:

1. Secure the computer system to ensure that the equipment and data are safe. This means the detectives must make sure that no unauthorized individual can access the computers or storage devices involved in the search. If the computer system connects to the Internet, detectives must sever the connection.

2. Find every file on the computer system, including files that are encrypted, protected by passwords, hidden or deleted, but not yet overwritten. Investigators should make a copy of all the files on the system. This includes files on the computer's hard drive or in other storage devices. Since accessing a file can alter it, it's important that investigators only work from copies of files while searching for evidence. The original system should remain preserved and intact.

3. Recover as much deleted information as possible using applications that can detect and retrieve deleted data.

4. Reveal the contents of all hidden files with programs designed to detect the presence of hidden data.

5. Decrypt and access protected files.

6. Analyse special areas of the computer's disks, including parts that are normally inaccessible. (In computer terms, unused space on a computer's drive is called unallocated space. That space could contain files or parts of files that are relevant to the case.)

7. Document every step of the procedure. It's important for detectives to provide proof that their investigations preserved all the information on the computer system without changing or damaging it. Years can pass between an investigation and a trial, and without proper documentation, evidence may not be admissible.

8. Be prepared to testify in court as an expert witness in computer forensics. Even when an investigation is complete, the detectives' job may not be done.

All of these steps are important, but the first step is critical. If investigators can't prove that they secured the computer system, the evidence they find may not be admissible. It's also a big job. In the early days of computing, the system might have included a PC and a few floppy disks. Today, it could include multiple computers, disks, thumb drives, external drives, peripherals and Web servers.

Computer Forensics Basics – How it works

The purpose of computer forensics techniques is to search, preserve and analyze information on computer systems to find potential evidence. Many of the techniques detectives use in crime scene investigations have digital counterparts, but there are also some unique aspects to computer investigations.

For example, just opening a computer file changes the file -- the computer records the time and date it was accessed on the file itself. If detectives seize a computer and then start opening files, there's no way to tell for sure that they didn't change anything. Lawyers can contest the validity of the evidence when the case goes to court.

Some people say that using digital information as evidence is a bad idea. If it's easy to change computer data, how can it be used as reliable evidence? Many countries allow computer evidence in trials, but that could change if digital evidence proves untrustworthy in future cases.

Computers are getting more powerful, so the field of computer forensics must constantly evolve. In the early days of computers, it was possible for a single detective to sort through files because storage capacity was so low. Today, with hard drives capable of holding gigabytes and even terabytes of data, that's a daunting task. Detectives must discover new ways to search for evidence without dedicating too many resources to the process.

What are the basics of computer forensics? What can investigators look for, and where do they look? Find out when the digital forensic experts from DLA discuss the steps in collecting evidence from a computer?

What to do if a computer in your business contains important evidence

First of all – STOP using the computer or device! Any use of this may damage or taint any evidence present. If the suspected computer is turned off, then leave it off.

If the computer or device is on, do not go through the normal “Shut Down” process… rather call the digital forensic experts first.

Do not allow your internal IT staff to conduct a preliminary investigation.

It is important to recognise that all you have initially is information and data, not actual evidence. Unless your IT staff is certified in computer forensics and trained on evidentiary procedures (very few are), they most likely have not followed other accepted evidence techniques. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if proper evidence handling techniques have been used, the collection process itself has most likely changed or altered the data collected. By opening, printing and saving files, the meta-data is changed! Lastly, the simple act of just turning on the computer changes files, caches, which along with the alteration of the meta-data, may have seriously damaged or destroyed any evidence that was present.

Depending on the damage done, a skilled computer forensic specialist may be able to salvage the damaged evidence. This however, can be an arduous and time-consuming process which often costs several times more than it should. However, it is always important to bear in mind that it is not always possible to restore evidence from computers that have been mishandled.

Keep a detailed log of who had access, what was done and where the computer has been stored since the dates in question.

Computer forensics may be an unknown and mysterious discipline to many, but it is easy to avoid the most common mistakes by following the guidelines outlined! Only use certified digital forensic experts, such as the professionals from DLA, contact them today and get the job done right.

This gruesome murder case was solved by computer forensics after 30 years of searching

For more than 30 years, the case of the BTK serial killer went as one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in America. Police spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars trying to figure out the identity of this man, who killed 10 people in and around Wichita, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991.

But, on the 16^th of February 2005, in a few short hours computer forensic specialists accomplished what police had failed to do for more than 30 years – they identified the BTK killer as a man named Dennis Rader! This case remains the most famous ever solved by computer forensics.

The case started on the 15^th of January 1975, when Dennis Rader killed four members of the Otero family. Over the next 15 years, he would admit to killing six more female victims.

As he was committing these murders, Rader would taunt police by sending them bizarre notes. His first note was found in the Wichita Public Library; in it he claimed responsibility for the Otero murders and provided details only the police would know. He also promised that he would kill again and suggested a nickname for himself – BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill).

Rader went on to write numerous letters to the police, including twisted poems, puzzles and pictures. Sometimes he would send the letters straight to the police and other times he would mail them to the media or hide them somewhere.

Local police worked with the FBI and spent thousands of hours studying these communications. They hired the best criminal psychologists, followed up on every possible lead and interviewed thousands of people. Even with so much evidence and effort, police were still unable to tie any of the murders to Dennis Rader.

It was not until 2004, after 10 years of silence from the BTK killer, that police finally caught a break. That year, Rader resumed his communications with police. He sent them a Word document on a floppy disk that computer forensic experts immediately examined.

By using special forensics software, police were able to pull up a Word document that have been deleted. The document revealed a clue – it had last been modified by someone named Dennis at Christ Lutheran Church. A quick search of the church’s website revealed that Dennis Rader was actually the president of the church’s congregation council!

Police were then able to quickly link Rader to the BTK murders.

Today, computer forensics is used more than ever to solve crimes, such as murder, kidnapping, fraud and embezzlement. Forensic investigators are able to dig up information that was thought to be long gone on cellphones, computers, laptops, hard drives and chats. The tools these experts use are growing more and more advanced every day.

Looking for professional forensic investigators to find the digital evidence that you need? At DLA, two seasoned investigators join and use the latest technologies to weed out the result's that you're looking for!

Use these 3 pointers to fly through your first computer forensic interview

Have you always wanted to work in computer forensics and now finally you’ve been invited to an interview. But how should you prepare? Well, the first thing to do is to get the interview into perspective and develop the right mindset.

Computer forensic job interviews take all sorts of different formats, with some being very technical while others are a mix of technical skills, competencies and personality.

Here are 3 pointers to help you fly through your interview:

1. Technical Questions

The technical level you need to demonstrate differs depending on the job and organisation. Just make sure you do all the obvious things beforehand, like researching the mentioned areas in the job description, reading forums, etc.

The golden rule here is to not try and bluff your way through when you don’t know the answer. If you are not technically strong enough for a role, there really is nothing you can do about it on the day.

2. Competencies

Most interviewers will focus their questions around the following competencies: Interpersonal skills, problem solving and decision making, planning and organizing, information handling and analysis, written/oral communication skills and team working.

The best thing to do is to prepare two/three examples of each before the interview. This preparation should avoid you having to desperately think of new examples under pressure on the day.

3. Personality

Always remember, if the interviewer doesn’t like you then it is very unlikely that you will be successful. When answering technical questions it can be easy to become almost robotic with your answers and that often leads to people failing in computer forensic interviews because they don’t allow their personality to come through.

If you don’t land the computer forensic job you were hoping for, it really isn’t the end of the world. So learn from experience and make sure to use these 3 pointers to land the job you’ve dreamed of!

Prepare well, be yourself and good luck!

DLA (cellular and computer based forensics) is based in Cape Town and combines the professional skills of two investigators with the latest technologies to get you the digital evidence that you need - Contact us today and let us follow the electronic trail for you.

The Different phases of a Computer Forensics Investigation

Here are the following steps investigators should follow to retrieve digital evidence…

1. Secure the computer system to ensure that the equipment and data are safe. This means digital investigators must make sure that no unauthorized individual can access the computers or storage devices involved in the search.

2. Find every file on the computer system, including files that are encrypted, protected by passwords, hidden or deleted, but not yet overwritten. Digital investigators should make a copy of all the files on the system. This includes files on the computer’s hard drive or in other storage devices.

3. Recover as much deleted information as possible using applications that can detect and retrieve deleted data.

4. Reveal the contents of all hidden files with programs designed to detect the presence of hidden data.

5. Decrypt and access protected files.

6. Analyze special areas of the computer's disks, including parts that are normally inaccessible.

7. Document every step of the procedure. It's important for digital investigators to provide proof that their investigations preserved all the information on the computer system without changing or damaging it.

All these steps are incredibly important in a computer or digital forensics investigations, make sure you follow them all to ensure an effective investigation.

DLA Digital and cellular forensics can provide you with the digital evidence that you need! Let us follow the electronic trail to find and protect the evidence that you need.

Emergency Guide: The Do’s and Do Not’s of Computer Forensic Emergencies

Read this vital guide on saving evidence in Computer Forensic Emergencies…

DO – Make detailed noted on all activities
> Collect data that would otherwise be lost by removing the power supply.
> If the device is switched on, record what is on the screen by taking photos or by making a written note of the content.
> Ensure that actions or changes made to the system are recorded. > Ask the user about the setup of the system. E.g. Passwords, usernames etc.

DO NOT – Switch on the computer

> Every time a computer is switched on data can be changed
> Make sure that the computer is switched off
> Look for activity. E.g. lights may indicate power/activity. Remove the main power source battery from laptop computers

DO – Unplug the device to ensure information cannot be overwritten
> A computer in sleep mode may be accessed remotely, allowing the alternation or deletion of files.
> Remove the power supply from the back of the computer without closing down any programs. This avoids any data being written to the hard drive with power loss.
> Remove all other connection cables leading from the computer, and make notes.

DO NOT – Continue to use the computer device
> After an incident has been established, continued usage of the computer device could prove devastating to the existing evidence.
> Deleted data can still be present on the machine, but marked as ready to over-write. Use of the computer overwrites existing data on the hard drive which could hold important evidence.

DO – Secure or seal the system in a locked cupboard or container
> By securing the computer, this can restrict any unauthorized access to the computer, which minimizes potential data loss.
> This also provides a level of protection from natural hazards or accidents that may occur around the device and cause damage to the system.

DO NOT – Let your IT department or computer specialists “have a quick look”
> Without the use of special digital forensic software and tools, tampering with the evidence can cause data to be lost or corrupt.
> Commercial “Data Recovery” software does not work for evidential purposes and could result in data loss

DO – Call us right away
DLA has grown to become a great provider of digital forensic services in Cape Town and nationwide. We pride ourselves on offering the highest quality digital forensics and delivering thorough, detailed and accurate results.  Contact us today and we can provide you with the digital evidence that you need.

Recover computer evidence quickly and easily!

People use their computers for almost everything; many of these things can be used against you. Hiding money, illegal activities, inappropriate emails and just about anything you can think of.

Often, if you are trying to hide something, you’ll make an effort to completely clean out your computer by deleting “everything” and reformatting. The problem is, when you contact IT support and you are told that all is lost, they probably have no idea what a digital forensic investigator can do!

The harsh truth is that the evidence is still there, waiting to be found, you just can’t see it. The only question is, do you want it recovered or not.

Many businesses that have a disgruntled employee, or feel that an employee is involved in unacceptable activities at work, may want to acquire some digital evidence, they can use a digital forensic investigator to recover all the evidence that they need.

We at DLA are pleased to provide all the evidence that you need off of a computer, cellular device, laptop or tablet. The obvious advantage that we have here at DLA is that we recover digital evidence that few others could and keep all affairs private.

Need something recovered? Don’t hesitate to give DLA a call.

Computer Forensics vs. Cellular Forensics

Although these two may seem very similar, computer forensics and cellular forensics are different in many ways.

Any type of criminal case may use computer and cellular forensics as evidence, including drug dealing cases, theft of intellectual property or trade secrets, murder cases and even less serious cases like a disgruntled employee.

While a computer is indeed a storage unit for data, cell phones differ by make and model and what type of data they contain, how it is stored, deleted data or how GPS is monitored.

When you contact a digital forensics investigator, make sure you are prepared with all the information…

- Make and model of the computer or cell phone

- The owner or account holder

- Whether or not the device is password protected

- Whether or not you know the password

It is also essential to explain exactly what information you would like to collect or what you suspect has happening and how the data will be used.

So, do you need a computer or cellular forensics investigator?

Unfortunately, as more people are affected by cybercrime and technology plays a bigger role in criminal and civil matters, you may need one of the following investigators:

- Computer forensics investigator

A computer forensics investigator will recover data from a computer. If you need evidence of activity on your computer, a qualified computer forensics investigator can get you all the proof you need. These investigators even have the ability to find hidden or deleted data and emails.

- Cellular forensics investigator
Depending on the make and model of a cell phone, a cellular forensics investigator will recover data, passwords, chat history, SMSs, photographs, GPS and other information from a cell phone. They even have the ability to access deleted or hidden information from a device.

Would you like the help of experienced investigators? Contact DLA today and they will use the latest technologies to achieve the digital evidence that you need!

What Is Data Recovery And How Does It Work?

We’ve all dealt with data loss, whether it was from a hard drive failure, data corruption or accidentally deleting a file. If you’ve ever experienced a major loss of data, you’ve probably wondered about data recovery — how does it work? How effective is it? How much does it cost?

Data Loss and Data Recovery

Data loss can take many forms — accidental deletion, hard drive failure, software bugs, data corruption, hacking, even a simple power failure can cause you to lose data. And, of course, there are more extreme cases, like when a hard drive is recovered from a plane crash; amazingly, some data recovery specialists can retrieve data from storage media that’s been almost completely destroyed.

If a piece of data used to be on your hard drive, USB stick or other storage media, you might be able to hire someone (or purchase some software) to perform data recovery. Data recovery is, simply, the salvaging and repair of data that has been lost.

DLA can recover your data quickly and easily, by combing the experience of two seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to achieve the results that you require.

Of course, data recovery won’t always be possible; sometimes a system can be too corrupted or damaged to get much of the data back. However, data-recovery technology has become extremely advanced.

How Does Data Recovery Work?

The methods used to recover lost data depend on how the data was lost in the first place; let’s take a look at some of the most common forms here.

- File Deletion

- File Corruption

- File System Format or Damage

- Physical Drive Damage

- Solid State Drive Data Recovery

DLA can do a great job of getting your data back, but the best measure you can take to prevent long-term data loss is the one we’ve been advocating for a long time: make lots of backups! 

The History of Digital Forensics

Before the 1980s, crimes involving computers and digital devices were dealt with using existing laws. So, the field of digital forensics is relatively new. While its history may be short, it is quite complex.

As the years went by, the range of digital crimes being committed increased, but it was not until the 1980s that federal laws began to include computer offences. Canada was actually the first country to pass legislation in 1983, followed by the US Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in 1986.

The fact that computer and digital crimes grew so much during the 1980s and the 1990s caused law enforcement agencies to start making specilised groups to deal with the technical aspects of the investigation. For example, the Computer Analysis and Response Team that the FBI formed in 1984.

Throughout the 1990s there was a high demand for these new investigative resources, this lead to the creation of regional and even local level groups to help handle the load. But, it was not until 1992 that the term “computer forensics” was actually used in academic literature.

Since the year 2000, a lot of people and agencies have written and published guidelines for digital forensics. A European lead international treaty, the Convention on Cyber crime, came into force in 2004 with the aim of reconciling national computer crime laws, investigative techniques and international co-operation.

The issue of training also received some attention. Companies, such as forensic software developers, began to offer certification programs, and digital forensic analysis was included as a topic at the UK specialist investigator training facility.

Since the late 1990s digital devices have become available everywhere, basically everyone has a phone or some kind of digital device. Devices have advanced way beyond simply communicating, they are great forms of information, even for crime not usually associated with digital forensics. However, digital analysis of phones has lagged behind traditional computer media, mostly because of problems over the ownership of the devices.

The complex field of digital forensics will always have unresolved issues. Many issues will include; increasing size of digital media, the wide availability of encryption to basically everyone, the variety of operating systems, increasing number of people owning multiple devices and lets not forget the legal limitations on investigators. 

DLA is based in Cape Town and combines the experience of two seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to achieve the results that you require.