In my previous post, I identified several primary differences between computer forensic investigations and electronic discovery processing. Next, I’d like to identify some general case categories and tasks that involve a computer forensic investigator.
Case Categories:
· Employment disputes
· Misuse of company computer involving pornography, gambling, blackmail and fraud
· Embezzlement
· Breach of contract
· Software licensing
· Intellectual property theft
· Insurance fraud
· Sexual harassment
Typical Tasks:
· Recovering deleted files and emails
· Internet activity analysis
· Cell phone and smart phone analysis
· Metadata analysis
· Providing results, recommendations, and action plan
Even if a civil or criminal investigation doesn’t fall within these case categories, you may still need to involve a computer forensic investigator. Why? Because it is no secret that computers are used as a primary source for communication, work product, and research. The listed tasks could apply to investigating almost any suspect involved in a civil or criminal law suit.