Affects and Importance of Technology on Digital Forensics

Affects and Importance of Technology on Digital Forensics

Introduction

Technology has changed a number of ways of how things used to operate. In more appropriate words, it can be said that technology has facilitated and eased various functions in various fields be it education, health, nursing, marketing and other disciplines. Criminology and crime investigations have also been majorly benefited by the technology and its developments. In fact, the introduction of fields such as Digital forensics is the proof that technology has an important role to play in ensuring proper and quality criminal investigation procedures. A number of technological equipments and gadgets along with various encryption and coding techniques have been introduced, developed and perfected with time. This was to ensure that all the data and information of the investigation procedures remains safe and protected. There are a number of equipments and tools that have helped increase the standards of digital forensics. However, development in cellular technology and the introduction of cell phones in digital forensics have rejuvenated the entire field.

Discussion

The importance of the cellular technology for the digital forensic field is recognized all over the world. In fact, the common use of these gadgets has resulted in a new sub domain in the digital forensics known by the name Mobile device forensics. This can simply be defined as a domain of the digital forensics that involves recovery of the digital data or evidence through a mobile device used under forensically sound environment and conditions.

Background

Although, mobile phones has been the most widely used communication tool since the last decade. However, the evolvement in the field of telecommunication especially cellular technologies in the last five years or so has made the use of mobile phones almost mandatory in the digital forensics.

Over the last five years or so, the features and capabilities of the mobile devices have transformed them into data and information repositories. Hence, these gadgets now have the ability to store a massive amount of both organizational and personal information. It is interesting to note that criminals have also not missed on the revolution and opportunities that these mobile devices offer. Within the past couple of years, there has been observed a significant increase in the usage of these mobile phones and various other similar handheld devices by the criminals for the sake of committing various criminal acts of varying intensity.

For example, a teenager pornographer can keep inappropriate images on his mobile phone for the sake of trading photos or a drug dealer keep the list of his customers in a file saved in his handheld device. In fact, the terrorists have been known to use the cell phones for suicide bombings. Hence, almost every class and act of crime in the recent time can involve cellular technology. This then refers to the fact that there must exits some of digital evidence or proof from that device which then can be regarded as a portable data carrying device. Therefore, the potential for the incrimination of the information ...