
Computer crime forensics
Date: March 01, 2007Source: whatpc.co.uk
Think of a TV programme with a crime scene and there are usually some common components – a body, a bloodstained weapon and a couple of glasses covered in fingerprints for a murder, perhaps.
But what of the computer sitting in the corner? Could this contain evidence of contact between the victim and their killer?
Increasingly, you’ll see the computer bagged as evidence too, in shows like CSI or Without a Trace.
The relatively new field of computer forensics is, like other forensic sciences, becoming a popular area for study at the moment, and not just because of the TV. With virtually everyone using a computer, demand for forensic analysts and the availability of post-graduate courses for those who want to learn about computer forensics are both on the increase.
The use of forensic evidence from computers and other digital devices has become a common feature in investigating many crimes. No longer are computers simply seen as tools to commit a crime such as fraud; they can now bear witness to events leading up to other crimes, such as research and planning, or email exchanges between the suspect and victim.

