BASSETERRE, St. Kitts ? IN every community the world over, criminals exist and have been committing crimes even as far back as the Stone Age. Today, however, the modus operandi of criminals has significantly changed and, with the advancement of technology, the world has seen the emergence of a new strategy called Cyber Crime which is being perpetrated by many, including white collar criminals.
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According to Tech Terms.com, Cyber Crime is defined as ?a criminal activity done using computers and the Internet. This includes anything from downloading illegal music files to stealing millions of dollars from online bank accounts. Cybercrime also includes non-monetary offenses, such as creating and distributing viruses on other computers or posting confidential business information on the Internet?.
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To combat this new form of criminal activity, Computer Forensics was introduced to identify and prosecute the perpetrators.
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Computer Forensics, which is also known as Computer Forensic Science, is a branch of Digital Forensic Science that pertains to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage media.
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According to Steve Hailey, an Information Technology veteran, ?At a basic level, Computer Forensics is the analysis of information contained within and created with computer systems and computing devices, typically in the interest of figuring out what happened, when it happened, how it happened, and who was involved.??
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Additionally, the objective of Computer Forensics is to examine digital media in a forensically sound manner with the aim of identifying, preserving, recovering, analysing and presenting facts and opinions about the information.
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Apart from the standard computers, BlackBerries are also used to perpetrate Cyber Crimes. They are defined as ?mobile smart devices that combine a number of functions including emails, web browsing, text messaging, schedule management, and mobile phone into one portable handset?.
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It is reported that one of the many successful groups in the US that has employed Computer Forensics in its fight against Cyber Crimes is the Redding Police Department in collaboration with the Shasta County District Attorney?s Office.
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This group, headed by Shasta County District Attorney?s Chief Investigator Dan Kartchner, since 2000, was instrumental in putting dozens of murderers, child porn traffickers and embezzlers behind bars.
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The report noted that where once an investigator relied on such skills as dusting for fingerprints, interviewing suspects or writing search warrants, Kartchner had to learn how to unencrypt locked files, hack passwords, restore deleted items and scan a computer?s Internet search log.
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This media house has learnt that Cyber Crimes are being committed in St. Kitts and Nevis, and quite recently a related case was tried at the Basseterre Magistrate?s Court but details of the perpetrator and its findings were unavailable.
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At the conclusion of that case, SKNVibes spoke with Corporal Carl Greaux, who informed that a number of officers in the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) were trained in Computer Forensics and that he is among that special group.
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?The government of St. Kitts and Nevis saw the importance of Computer Forensics examination and took the initiative in 2009 and trained persons in Computer Forensics. In addition, the government also passed in law No. 27 of 2009, Electronic Crimes Act, 2009 in order to address computer and other electronic crimes,? Greaux said.
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He noted that a Computer Forensics Examiner might be called upon to perform any of a number of different types of computer investigation and the RSCNPF is equipped to successfully complete such tasks.
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?We have all heard of or read about the use of Computer Forensics by law enforcement agencies to help catch criminals. The criminal might be a thief who was found with evidence of his crime when his home or office computer was searched, or a government employee who was found to have stolen funds from public accounts by manipulating accounting software to hide funds transfers.
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?I think the government trained these persons, of which I am one, so that they may help to protect the information their respective departments maintain. It could be as simple as making sure government employees don?t misuse the access they have been granted to view confidential information by periodically reviewing their activities,? he explained.
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He further explained that Computer Forensics is a rapidly growing profession and some lawyers do hire Computer Forensics Examiners to assist in the examination of personal computers belonging to spouses involved in divorce proceedings.
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?The focus of such investigations is usually to find information about assets that the spouse may be hiding and to which the other spouse is entitled,? he added.
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Greaux noted that this field of work is vast and in addition to the initial basic training, a dedicated examiner always seeks to enhance his/her knowledge by keeping abreast with advance technology.
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?Each of these areas seems entirely unique. After one has been taught the basics, obtains the appropriate equipment and follows the laid down proper procedures, one must continue to educate oneself in order to efficiently and effectively conduct these investigations and provide a better service to the general public,? Greaux stressed.
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Source: http://www.cybercrimesunit.com/?p=2262
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