When a potential computer crime takes place, it is critical that the investigation steps are carried out properly to ensure that the evidence will be admissible to the court if things go that far and that it can stand up under the cross-examination and scrutiny that will take place.
Forensics is a science and an art that requires specialized techniques for the recovery, authentication, and analysis of electronic data for the purposes of a digital criminal investigation.
At one time computer forensic results were differentiated from network and code analysis, but now this entire area is referred to as digital evidence.
The people conducting the forensic investigation must be properly skilled in this trade and know what to look for.
Digital evidence must be handled in a careful fashion so it can be used in different courts, no matter what jurisdiction is prosecuting a suspect. Within the United States, there is the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE), which aims to ensure consistency across the forensic community. The principles developed by the SWGDE for the standardized recovery of computer-based evidence are governed by the following attributes:
The SWGDE principles are listed next: