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

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.

How Digital Devices are collected on a Crime Scene

As anyone who has dropped a cell phone in a lake or had their computer damaged in a move or a thunderstorm knows, digitally stored information is very sensitive and easily lost. There are general best practices, developed by organizations to properly seize devices and computers. 

Once the scene has been secured and legal authority to seize the evidence has been confirmed, devices can be collected. Any passwords, codes or PINs should be gathered from the individuals involved, if possible, and associated chargers, cables, peripherals, and manuals should be collected. 

Thumb drives, cell phones, hard drives and the like are examined using different tools and techniques, and this is most often done in a specialized laboratory.

First responders need to take special care with digital devices in addition to normal evidence collection procedures to prevent exposure to things like extreme temperatures, static electricity and moisture.

- Devices should be turned off immediately and batteries removed, if possible. Turning off the phone preserves cell tower location information and call logs, and prevents the phone from being used, which could change the data on the phone. In addition, if the device remains on, remote destruction commands could be used without the investigator’s knowledge. Some phones have an automatic timer to turn on the phone for updates, which could compromise data, so battery removal is optimal.

- If the device cannot be turned off, then it must be isolated from its cell tower by placing it in a Faraday bag or other blocking material, set to airplane mode, or the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other communications system must be disabled. Digital devices should be placed in antistatic packaging such as paper bags or envelopes and cardboard boxes. Plastic should be avoided as it can convey static electricity or allow a build-up of condensation or humidity.

- When sending digital devices to the laboratory, the investigator must indicate the type of information being sought, for instance phone numbers and call histories from a cell phone, emails, documents and messages from a computer, or images on a tablet.

Computers and cellular devices have had an increasing role in modern crime, let the digital forensic experts at DLA follow the electronic trail to find and protect the digital evidence that you need.

Digital Evidence – How It’s Done

Computer documents, emails, text and instant messages, transactions, images and Internet histories are examples of information that can be gathered from electronic devices and used very effectively as evidence. 

For example, mobile devices use online-based based backup systems, also known as the “cloud”, that provide forensic investigators with access to text / messaging app messages and pictures taken from a particular phone. These systems keep an average of 1,000–1,500 or more of the last text messages sent to and received from that phone.

In addition, many mobile devices store information about the locations where the device travelled and when it was there. To gain this knowledge, investigators can access an average of the last 200 cell locations accessed by a mobile device. Satellite navigation systems and satellite radios in cars can provide similar information. Even photos posted to social media such as Facebook or Instagram may contain location information. 

Photos taken with a Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled device contain file data that shows when and exactly where a photo was taken. 

Investigators can collect a great deal of history related to a device and the person using it!

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.

3 important reasons why you need a digital forensic examiner

I bet you haven’t seen the top 3 reasons you need to hire a digital forensic investigator!  Not to be outdone, we’ll try to keep it to only five:

1)  Data is everywhere

Think about all the digital devices you own and use.  Chances are, you probably use your handheld portable device in the morning, transition to laptop/desktop computer during work hours, then go back to mobile with heavy use of tablets during the evening hours (probably because you and your partner don’t want to watch the same TV shows).

So the bottom line is, virtually everything you do during the day will involve a digital device on some level and leave a digital footprint.  That data is stored on those devices and if you’re involved in some sort of dispute, accident, encounter, etc. that may lead to legal action down the road, you’re going to want a trained digital forensic expert to acquire, analyse and report that data for you. 

2)  Data breaches affect everyone

In the past year or so, there have been dozens of high-profile data breaches occur in the private commercial and government sectors.  For everyday consumers like us, it means that our personal information could be shared with unsavoury types, so whether you’re hiring a digital forensic examiner yourself or your bank is hiring one to help find out what happened and by whom, it does affect you.

3)  Chances are, you’ll be involved in litigation at some point

Not all legal matters are contested, but when they are, you want the data to show the truth.  And if you believe #1 (data is everywhere), the likelihood that you will not only be involved in some sort of contested litigation, but that the litigation will likely involve retrieving & reporting data that is critical to your case in a verifiable, forensically sound manner is very real.  From divorces to child custody to distracted driving personal injury to criminal cases, the universal nature of the devices we carry and the data they store cannot be denied.

So there’s the list.  If nothing else, we hope this serves to educate just some of the reasons why you may need a digital forensic examiner on speed-dial.  Is a digital forensic examiner someone you need every day?  No.  But much like your car mechanic, your exterminator and your lawyer, you sure want to know how to contact a good one when the time comes! Contact DLA Digital Forensics today – we can’t wait to be of service to you.

Be careful what you text!

Couples who may be heading toward a nasty break-up should always be extra careful when they send SMSs or WhatsApp messages. These messages could end up as evidence against them in divorce court!

In the past years, because of advances in digital forensics, there has been a huge spike in the number of cases using evidence from iPhones and other smartphones.

With emails, you can always think about what you’re writing and rewrite them. There is a windows of opportunity to rethink what you are saying, however with instant messaging, it is immediate. Many people send out messages without even thinking.

This is described as “spontaneous venting” and it can come back to haunt you! These instant messages can be recovered at a later stage to reveal your thoughts, actions and intentions.

SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other instant messages have been the most common form of divorce evidence taken from smartphones, followed by emails, phone numbers, call history, GPS and internet search histories.

Divorce lawyers advise their clients not to use Facebook to send messages or post inappropriate statuses, as it is the main source of divorce evidence from social media. However, only about half the couples actually follow their advice.

Anything that is in writing, you have to assume that someday a judge is going to see it. So, if it is not something that you don’t want a judge to see – don’t write it down!

You can always erase your messages, but that doesn’t mean they erase theirs.

With the latest tools and forensic software, the digital investigators at DLA are able to assist investigators and attorneys from their Cape Town offices on a national basis.

At DLA, it is possible to forensically acquire material from basic handsets to the latest smartphones, from all mobile and cell phone manufacturers using a range of advanced forensic and data recovery techniques.

Cracking the case with digital forensics

In the world of law enforcement, digital forensics is a game changer nearly as important as DNA testing.

When two 13 year old girls went missing in September 2014, the first place detectives looked for clues was on their iPods, smartphones and other digital devices. The digital evidence led them to the girls and they were found in the basement of 23 year old Casey Lee Chinn. He is now being charged with felony criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and solicitation of a child.

Digital forensics – the examination of cellphones, tablets and personal electronics in criminal investigations – is dramatically changing the way cases are worked and solved. While technology has created new portals for predators searching for victims, it is also leaving telltale trails for police.

Law enforcement say that digital forensics has become an investigation imperative. With majority of adults carrying a cellphone, the devices have become the one constant in many people’s lives. Your cellphone has become everything you need throughout the day – your alarm clock, camera, phone line, email, social media terminal and so much more. Police use that almost constant phone activity to verify a suspects or witness’ statement and provide a log of a person’s movements and activities. Smartphones can even be an eyewitness by recording a crime in progress.

Electronic devices are just a treasure trove of information. The digital evidence is one of the first thing investigators look at because they leave footprints all over the place – who you were talking with, where you’ve take your photos and even who you’ve been tweeting.

It’s true; technology leaves a telltale trail for law enforcement and digital forensic 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 digital evidence that you require.

What is a forensic audit, and why do they require digital forensic services?

Here at DLA, some of our top clients include forensic auditors, as they require our digital forensic services for their forensic audits. But what exactly is a forensic audit and what does it mean?

Read on to explore and find out what a forensic audit is, when they are used and how they are used in court…

A forensic audit may sound like something quite exciting that you’ve probably heard on crime dramas like CSI and Law and Order, but the truth is, it is a little more boring.

A forensic audit is the process of reviewing person’s or companies financial statements to determine if they are correct and lawful. Forensic accounting is most commonly associated with tax audits, but can also be commissioned by private companies for digital forensic investigations.

So, when are forensic audits used? Forensic audits are used wherever an entity’s finances present a legal concern. For example, it is used in cased of suspected embezzlement, fraud, to investigate a spouse during divorce proceedings and so much more. This is where digital forensics comes in; our services are specifically designed to help forensic auditors in these cases.

Forensic audits are performed by a class of professionals with skills in both criminology and accounting, so they specialize in following a money trail, keeping track of fraudulent and actual balance sheets and checking for mistakes in income reports and expenditures. If they find any discrepancies, it may be the forensic auditor’s job to investigate and determine the reason for it, with the help of a digital investigator if digital evidence is needed!

How are forensic audits used in court? They are presented as evidence by a prosecutor or by a lawyer representing an interested party. Because finance is so complicated, the way a forensic auditor will describe a company’s financial position is often very precise. Because of this a prosecutor or lawyer will call an expert witness to explain the forensic audit in simpler terms in order to build a case.

Forensic audits cover a wide range of activities, and they can be a part of many different investigations, digital forensic investigations being one of them.

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.

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.

How to become a Digital Forensic Expert

As technology advances, those in the criminal justice and criminology fields have to learn to change with it. More people conduct business online, and more occupations require at least some use of a computer or cellular phone.

To combat and investigate crimes involving computers and mobile phones, new career opportunities for digital forensic experts have sprung up.

What do digital forensic experts do? Well, as the name implies, they reconstruct and analyze digital information to aid in investigations and solve computer-related crimes. They can look into incidents of hacking, recover chat history and even recover lost or stolen data.

Some of the services of a digital forensic expert often include:

- Recovering data from damaged or erased hard drives

- Gathering and maintaining evidence

- Working with cellular devices, computers and other electronic equipment

-  Digital image enhancement

- Recovering SMS or chat history

Private companies and government organisations may employ digital forensic investigators full time, or they may contract for their services. Investigators will likely be involved in looking for violations of company policies regarding computer use as much as they will be involved in crime solving.

What are the education and skill requirements for a digital forensic investigator? Well, of course you will need a wide variety of knowledge regarding the investigative process, the law of evidence, computer operating systems, mobile devices and different types of hardware and software.

In addition to computer skills and related education and certifications, digital forensic investigators and digital forensic experts must also possess strong analytical and investigative skills. They need to be able to read and interpret data and to formulate conclusions, and they must be able to present their findings and conclusions in a format that can be easily understood.

A digital forensic expert’s job is both stimulating and rewarding. It allows you to put your unique skills and knowledge to work in a field that is truly helpful to others. 

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!

How digital forensic investigators use social networking for evidence

Social media is much more than it may seem. It’s not just “likes” and posting photos and sharing statuses. Important evidence and even corporate business records have become integrated into social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Most of the time, the content investigators are looking for on these social media sites are in relation to:

- Conducting a background check or making an accusation against a witness

- Determining a corporate position on an issue, fact or circumstance

- Proving whether a person was cyber-bullied or threatened

- Establishing whether someone associated with another person of interest

- Evidencing intent, weakness or motive

- Challenging an individual’s physical location alibi

However, over the years people have argued about whether using social networking site content violates their rights, whether the site itself infringes the privacy of its users or even whether illegal activity occurs with actual knowledge of it happening.

In light of this, make sure the evidence is preserved and acquired properly is critical, which can be hard given its dynamic and multi-format nature. To properly collect and authenticate social networking content, the correct tools and programs need to be used at all times. Significant digital forensics skills are needed to analyze the preserved data to answer questions like:

- Who posted the offending content?

- Can the offending content even be attributed by convincing evidence to a real, live person?

- When was the offending content posted on the social media site?

- How much of it exists across the entire social networking platform?

- What other related evidence is there?

- How accurate is the reported physical location

We use social networking constantly; it is basically a part of our everyday lives. So, because people choose to broadcast their personal lives to the public, digital forensic investigators can use it to get current and accurate evidence.

DLA can provide you with a wide variety of services, from data and WhatsApp history recovery to digital suspect profiling and image verification.

The challenges of digital forensics

Forensics is changing, because as the years go by we are living more and more in a digital age. However, the legal system is still catching up when it comes to properly using digital evidence.

So, what is digital evidence? Digital evidence is information found on a wide range of electronic devices that is useful for court cases or situations with disgruntled employees. It is basically like the digital equivalent of a fingerprint or a strand of hair left at the scene.

However, digital evidence that is used in court often fails to meet the same high standards expected of more established forensics practices, especially in making sure the evidence is exactly what it is portrayed to be.

It has become common for criminal trials to rely on digital evidence. And it is not uncommon for innocents to be convicted and guilty people acquitted because of digital evidence.

There are many different reasons for this.

First, the evidence might be compelling when you first look at it, but it could by misleading. Other investigations might not even get to trial because of the complexity or incompleteness of the evidence.

It is a bit worrying that some defendants are pleading guilty based on what appears to be great digital evidence, but in these cases the defense lawyer may not understand it. This is why digital forensics consultants are so important.

Forensic analyses and presentations of digital evidence are sometimes explained by investigators that have little or no experience, which is then made worse by faulty case management.

Another problem may be that the digital forensic processes and tools are not seen as reliable.

Now that we are living in the age of technology, digital forensics will forever have an impact on the way that evidence is gathered and presented in court.

Browse DLA and learn a little more about the world of cellular forensics, data recovery and digital forensics. 

Cellular Forensics

Cellular forensics has really changed things when it comes to suspect profiling. The fact that people use mobile devices so frequently these days has provided investigators with another source for profiling criminal suspects, as well as helpful insight into their personal habits and personalities.

This is not just from all the calls and SMSs that are sent and received, but also from the rich data that can be extracted from messaging apps (WhatsApp, BBM) and social media apps (Facebook, Twitter) gives digital forensic investigators the ability to develop a picture of a suspect and a criminal case.

A suspects’ social media personality can offer a more tailored overview of the character, his or her likes and dislikes and a reflection of “who” they really are. A victim’s presence on social media can also be used to find a common link to possible suspects!

The widespread use of cellular apps makes them a source of extremely critical data for digital investigators and general law enforcement officers, both in terms of evidence and investigative leads.

These days’ people use their mobile devices to access social media apps rather than using their laptop or computer. Even more so, social media data can actually be extracted from a suspect’s mobile device and provide details such as, their WhatsApp chat history, location-based data, recovery of images and frequently contacted people.

Investigators can even find out when someone was in a certain place at a certain time by looking at the WiFi all the networks they have ever connected to.

While data points such as SMSs and GPS locations can end up in a great lead in a criminal case, looking at the online social identity of a suspect will allow investigators to dig deeper into the personality of the suspect, which can help to build a case.

Suspect profiling is changing as people use more and more social apps to communicate with one another. This is providing digital investigators with another source of information to build up a complete profile of a suspected criminal.

The amount of data that is now being consumed and shared is opening up a huge amount of different opportunities for cellular forensic and digital suspect profiling cases.

At DLA digital and cellular forensics, we never lose sight of the goal of an investigation, which is to identify the suspects and find the perpetrator using digital suspect profiling.

How police are using digital forensics to solve crimes

Forensic investigations seek to uncover evidence and then analyze it in order to get a proper understanding of the crime. As computers and digital devices have become a part of our daily lives, the cyber realm contains all sorts of potential evidence for all types of criminal investigations.

Technology is volatile and we’ve seen technology advancements in the last five years, probably like no other period in time.

So, how are police using digital forensics and what crimes have they solved?

BTK KILLER

BTK was a serial killer in Wichita, Kansas who named himself after his method – Bind, Torture, Kill.

He killed at least 10 people over a period of 30 years. After he killed, he would then taunt police with letters detailing his crimes.

The Evidence

- By posting ads through the local newspaper, BTK asked police if he could communicate with them via floppy disk without being traced back to a particular computer.

- The police lied and said yes. The floppy disk was quickly traced to a computer at the church where Dennis Rader was president of the congregation.

- DNA tests matched radar to the BTK murders.

The Outcome

- Sentenced to 175 years in prison

SCOTT PETERSON

Laci Peterson, who was 8 months pregnant, was reported missing by her husband, Scott Peterson. That same morning, Peterson claimed to be on a solo fishing trip near Brooks Island.

The bodies of Laci and her unborn son washed up on a beach a few months later. The patterns of water currents make it possible that Laci’s body was dumped near Peterson’s fishing spot.

The Evidence

- Peterson searched ads for used boats, fishing information, and boat ramps in the area.

- On the morning of Laci’s disappearance, Peterson made a call from his home to his voicemail after he claimed to have already left for his fishing trip.

- Wiretaps suggest that after Laci’s disappearance, Peterson lied about his whereabouts to friends and family.

The Outcome

- On death row

THE CRAIGSLIST KILLER

“Craigslist Killer” was the nickname given to the man who bound and robbed three women, killing one.

The Evidence

- Police used video surveillance to find images of the killer.

- Traced the phones he used to call the victims to disposable phones.

- Traced the email used to respond to the Craigslist ads to the IP address of Philip Markoff.

- Police followed Markoff, gathered fingerprints, which matched those on the crime scene.

The Outcome

- Committed suicide while awaiting trial

CASEY ANTHONY

Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mother called the police to report that her two year old granddaughter, Caylee, was missing.

Digital forensic experts found several suspicious searches on the Anthony home computer.

The Evidence

- Casey told police that her daughter had been abducted by her nanny a month before. Casey was arrested for child neglect.

- FBI lab results show that chloroform was found in Casey’s car.

- Caylee Anthony’s remains were found ¼ of a mile from the Anthony home.

The Outcome

- Sentenced to 4 years in prison

Digital forensics and forensic investigations seek to uncover, analyze and preserve evidence to be used in criminal proceedings.

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 digital forensic results that you require.

Digital Forensics in Criminal Investigations

Computers and other digital devices are commonly used to commit crimes these days, and thanks to the science of digital forensics and digital evidence, law enforcement can now use computers to fight crime.

For digital evidence to be legally admissible in court, investigators must follow proper legal procedures when recovering and analyzing data from computer systems.

Sometimes the law cannot keep up with technological advancements and this may ultimately limit the use of computer forensics evidence in court. Privacy advocates are growing especially concerned that computer searches may be a breach of a suspect’s human rights. So, as methods to hide evidence become more advanced, technology may be abused by helping criminals hide their actions. In the end, the role of technology in digital forensics may not reach its full potential due to legal boundaries and bad intentions.

Computer and computer-based forensics has been an important part in the conviction of many well-known criminals, including terrorists, sexual predators, and murderers. Terrorist organizations may use the Internet to recruit members, and sexual predators may use social networking sites to stalk their potential victims.

However, most criminals fail to cover their tracks when using technology to implement their crimes. They fail to realize that computer files and data remain on their hard drive even when they are deleted; this allows investigators to track their criminal activity. Even if criminals delete their incriminating files, the data remains in a binary format due to “data remanence” or the residual representation of data. File deletion simply renames the file and hides it from the user; the original file can still be recovered.

Eventually, data may be overwritten and lost due to the strained nature of computer memory, a storage area for used data. A random access memory chip (RAM) retrieves data from memory to help programs to run more efficiently. However, each time a computer is switched on, the RAM loses some of its stored data. Therefore, RAM is referred to as volatile memory, while data preserved in a hard drive is known as persistent memory.

The RAM is constantly swapping seldom used data to the hard drive to open up space in memory for newer data. Over time, though, the contents in the swap file may also be overwritten. Thus, investigators may lose more evidence the longer they wait since computer data does not persist indefinitely. 

Fortunately, computer scientists have engineered equipment that can copy the computer’s contents without turning on the machine. The contents can then be safely used by lawyers and detectives for analysis.

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