How Digital Forensics Can Help Bring Cyber Criminals To Justice

What is Digital Forensics?

In the past few decades, the use and study of ‘forensic science’ have become popularized in our lexicon due to the proliferation of investigative-themed entertainment. The common understanding of forensics is the use of scientific tests or applications to aid in detecting and solving crimes like homicide. Digital forensics also focuses on solving crimes, but those perpetrated online: ransomware attacks, data or identity theft, and phishing scams.

A successful investigation into cybercrime requires expert knowledge, sophisticated equipment, and technical experience navigating the complex and ever-expanding digital landscape. Digital forensics typically focuses on identifying, collecting, organizing, analyzing, and reporting electronic data for the purposes of recovering stolen or encrypted information and ascertaining the threat actor’s identity. In many court cases, digital forensics evidence has been used to confirm an alibi or otherwise exonerate the falsely accused. The sound use and clear presentation of digital forensics often serve as powerful evidence in a criminal proceeding.

Case Study

Insider threats against digital assets, including intellectual property (IP) and confidential information, continue to rise. A company specializing in identity theft protection reported that 60% of all data breaches in 2020 were perpetrated by insiders, up 47% over the previous two years. Every indication is that this is an increasing problem; however, it can be remediated with digital forensics.

One prominent case involved an employee with 2½ years of service at a major technology company. The employee offered his resignation and stated he’d be moving to China to care for his aging mother and work at a competitor. His manager was immediately suspicious, which launched an investigation into the employee’s work devices using a variety of techniques. As a result, it was verified that this insider attempted to exfiltrate numerous confidential documents. While digital forensics is often used to prove file theft or other corrupt actions, it can also be used to exonerate an innocent victim.

This case and countless others like it present the importance of partnering with a team of digital forensics experts when your business has been breached or is otherwise the victim of a cybercrime.

The SpearTip Benefit

In any Incident Response situation, it is necessary to have an experienced and knowledgeable partner at your side from beginning to end. At SpearTip, our Rapid Response team, like our 24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC), does not cease. We help our clients leverage the power of digital forensics and cyber counterintelligence during criminal investigations and in a court of law. Investigations we lead are highly detailed to preserve necessary and objective evidence—whether from computer, mobile, or cloud devices—leading to the proper legal outcome.

When the SpearTip team engages our Digital Forensics process following a cybercrime, we meticulously gather, handle, and catalog pertinent information. We do not take risks that might destroy evidence as we focus on protecting your organization and proper procedure. Our unmatched team of cyber counterintelligence experts can capably reconstruct any cyber incident and present it clearly and credibly to juries and judges. Throughout the process, we strive to make complex digital evidence and procedures comprehendible, so the extent of a data breach or other cyber incident is fully understood.

Being a victim of cybercrime can be a devastating experience, which is why it is imperative to partner with a team of objective and ethical experts. The core of our digital forensics services is careful, by-the-book execution in conjunction with sound legal counsel to give you the best chance of prevailing in your case. Our attention to detail in the pre-trial, discovery phase, or during deposition is what separates us from the pack. When your organization requires the support of digital forensics and expert testimony as part of a comprehensive incident response process, SpearTip defends you.