NCJ Number
192818
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2002 Pages: 64,66-68,69
Date Published
January 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes a way to make computer forensics understandable by law enforcement officials and the general public.
Abstract
As the worlds of crime and computers increasingly collide, the forensic science community finds it more and more important to make sure that law enforcement officials and the public understand the unique actions and language of computer forensics. It is especially important when the target audience is a jury. One suggestion is to use analogies from everyday life to explain such things as deleted files, file slack, disk partitions, unallocated space, and the role of an IP (Internet protocol) address. The most simplistic analogy for a computer's hard drive is that of a filing cabinet, and the article uses that analogy to explain several different concepts. The article emphasizes that computer technical terms must be put in language that juries understand. The most thorough investigation by the most experienced computer forensics expert becomes meaningless if a jury cannot see how all the pieces fit together in a case. In addition, the jury must be made to understand that all procedures used in locating data were proper and legal.