Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement

This document is not intended to create, does not create, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any matter civil or criminal. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document represent a consensus of the authors and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The products, manufacturers, and organizations discussed in this document are presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the iii Developments in the world have shown how simple it is to acquire all sorts of information through the use of computers. This information can be used for a variety of endeavors, and criminal activity is a major one. In an effort to fight this new crime wave, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and investment firms are incorporating computer forensics into their infrastructure. From network security breaches to child pornography investigations , the common bridge is the demonstration that the particular electronic media contained the incriminating evidence. Supportive examination procedures and protocols should be in place in order to show that the electronic media contains the incriminating evidence. To assist law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial offices, a series of guides dealing with digital evidence has been selected to address the complete investigation process. This process expands from the crime scene through analysis and finally into the courtroom. The guides summarize information from a select group of practitioners who are knowledgeable about the subject matter. These groups are more commonly known as technical working groups. This guide is the second in a series. The remaining guides in the series will address— I Using high technology to investigate.