Computer Forensics
Computer Forensics Services | Computer Investigation & Digital Evidence Analysis
Computers can contain valuable evidence relating to cybercrime, fraud, unauthorized access, malware, identity theft, employee misconduct, data theft and other digital incidents.
A computer may contain emails, documents, browser records, application data, downloaded files, account information and system activity that can help reconstruct what occurred.
Computer forensics is the forensic examination of digital information stored on or associated with a computer system.
A computer forensic investigation can help determine what evidence exists, when relevant activity occurred, which accounts or files may have been involved and whether available evidence supports a particular explanation of an incident.
The investigation is conducted according to the circumstances of the case and the evidence available.
What Is Computer Forensics?
Computer forensics is a branch of digital forensics focused on the examination of computers and related digital storage.
A computer forensic investigation may involve:
- Desktop computers
- Laptop computers
- External storage
- Hard drives
- Solid-state drives
- USB devices
- Computer applications
- Operating system records
- User-created files
The objective is to identify and analyze information that may be relevant to an investigation.
Computer forensics can be used for both individual investigations and business investigations.
When Is Computer Forensics Needed?
A computer forensic examination may be appropriate when there are concerns about:
- Unauthorized computer access
- Malware
- Data theft
- Deleted files
- Employee misconduct
- Account compromise
- Financial fraud
- Identity theft
- Intellectual property theft
- Unauthorized software
- Suspicious computer activity
It may also be appropriate when a computer is believed to contain evidence relevant to an online scam or cybercrime investigation.
Computer Forensics For Cybercrime Investigations
Computers may contain evidence relating to cyber incidents such as:
- Hacking
- Malware
- Phishing
- Unauthorized access
- Account takeover
- Data theft
The investigation may examine the sequence of events leading to the suspected incident.
For example:
Suspicious email
↓
Attachment opened
↓
Malicious software executed
↓
Account credentials exposed
↓
Unauthorized account activity
A computer forensic examination may help determine what evidence exists concerning each stage.
Computer Forensics For Online Scam Investigations
Online scams frequently involve computers.
A victim may have:
- Communicated with scammers
- Accessed a fraudulent website
- Downloaded documents
- Made cryptocurrency transactions
- Stored evidence in email
- Received payment instructions
Relevant computer evidence may help reconstruct the incident.
Computer Forensics For Financial Fraud
Computers can contain information relating to financial activity.
Potential evidence may include:
- Payment instructions
- Emails
- Banking communications
- Documents
- Transaction records
- Browser activity
The investigation can examine relevant evidence surrounding suspected financial fraud.
Computer Forensics For Cryptocurrency Investigations
Cryptocurrency scams can involve computers used to:
- Access exchanges
- Manage wallets
- Receive payment instructions
- Communicate with platforms
- Store transaction information
Relevant evidence may include:
- Wallet addresses
- Transaction IDs
- Exchange information
- Browser records
- Emails
- Messages
Computer evidence can be combined with blockchain transaction analysis where appropriate.
Computer Forensics And Malware
Malware incidents are a major reason for computer forensic examinations.
A forensic investigation may examine evidence associated with:
- Suspicious applications
- Files
- Processes
- Downloads
- System changes
- Browser activity
- Account access
The objective is to understand what happened rather than simply identify a suspicious file.
Computer Forensics And Account Compromise
A compromised computer can sometimes be associated with compromised online accounts.
An investigation may examine:
- Browser activity
- Stored account information
- Security notifications
- Suspicious downloads
- Relevant system activity
This can overlap with Account Takeover Investigation and Email Account Compromise Investigation.
What Evidence Can Be Found On A Computer?
Depending on the circumstances, a computer may contain:
Documents
- Word-processing files
- Spreadsheets
- PDFs
- Images
- Other user-created files
Browser Evidence
- Browsing history
- Downloads
- Saved information
- Website activity
Email Evidence
- Emails
- Attachments
- Contacts
- Account information
Application Evidence
- Installed applications
- Application records
- Configuration information
System Evidence
- Operating system records
- User accounts
- System activity
- Relevant logs
The amount and type of evidence varies considerably between systems.
Can Deleted Files Be Recovered?
Sometimes.
Deleted files may leave residual information on storage media.
Depending on the device and circumstances, forensic examination may identify:
- Deleted files
- File fragments
- Metadata
- Application records
- Other remnants
However, recovery is not guaranteed.
Modern storage technology, encryption, overwriting and other factors can affect recoverability.
SSDs And Deleted Evidence
Recovering deleted information from solid-state drives can be more complex than from some traditional storage systems.
Technologies such as TRIM can affect the availability of deleted data.
For this reason, forensic examination should not assume that every deleted file can be recovered.
Computer Forensics And Internet History
Browser evidence may provide useful information concerning websites accessed from a computer.
Depending on the browser and available evidence, investigators may examine:
- Visited websites
- Downloads
- Search activity
- Browser data
- Relevant timestamps
Internet history alone does not necessarily establish who performed an action.
It must be considered alongside other evidence.
Computer Forensics And Email
Email evidence can be particularly valuable in investigations involving:
- Phishing
- Fraud
- Identity theft
- Business email compromise
- Online scams
The investigation may examine:
- Messages
- Attachments
- Links
- Sender information
- Dates
- Technical information
Computer Forensics And Employee Investigations
Businesses may require computer forensic examinations when there are concerns about:
- Unauthorized data access
- Intellectual property theft
- Misuse of company systems
- Unauthorized software
- Data copying
- Employee misconduct
Corporate investigations require careful consideration of applicable workplace, privacy and legal requirements.
The scope should be appropriate to the circumstances and the organization’s authority to examine the device or account.
Computer Forensics And Data Theft
A computer forensic investigation may examine evidence associated with suspected copying or removal of information.
Potential evidence may include:
- File activity
- External storage
- Downloads
- Cloud services
- Email attachments
- Application activity
The evidence may help establish what activity occurred and when.
Computer Forensics Investigation Process
1. Case Assessment
The investigation begins by understanding the incident.
Important questions may include:
- What happened?
- Which computer is involved?
- When did the incident occur?
- What evidence is suspected to exist?
- Is the computer still being used?
2. Evidence Identification
Potential sources of relevant evidence are identified.
This may include:
- Internal storage
- External drives
- USB devices
- Applications
- Browser records
3. Evidence Preservation
Relevant evidence is preserved before detailed examination where appropriate.
The objective is to reduce unnecessary alteration of the original evidence.
4. Forensic Acquisition
Where appropriate, forensic techniques may be used to obtain a suitable copy or forensic representation of relevant storage.
The exact method depends on:
- Device type
- Storage technology
- Operating system
- Investigation requirements
5. Forensic Examination
The acquired evidence can then be examined for relevant information.
This may include:
- Files
- Browser records
- Applications
- System activity
- Deleted information
- User activity
6. Timeline Reconstruction
Relevant events can be placed into chronological order.
For example:
File downloaded
→
Application executed
→
Account accessed
→
File modified
→
Data transferred
The timeline can help investigators understand how events relate to one another.
7. Evidence Correlation
Computer evidence may be compared with information from:
- Email accounts
- Mobile phones
- Websites
- Cloud services
- Financial records
- Cryptocurrency transactions
This can provide a broader understanding of the incident.
8. Reporting
The findings are documented in a clear report.
A report may describe:
- Evidence examined
- Relevant findings
- Significant events
- Supporting information
- Limitations
Can A Computer Forensic Investigation Identify A User?
Computer evidence may provide information about user activity, but identifying the person who physically performed an action can be more complicated.
For example, a computer may show that an account was used at a particular time.
That does not automatically prove who was sitting at the computer.
Investigators may therefore consider multiple evidence sources, including:
- Account activity
- Device information
- Communications
- Access records
- Other digital evidence
Attribution should be based on the totality of the available evidence.
Can Computer Forensics Recover Passwords?
The answer depends on the type of password, system and available evidence.
A forensic investigation does not mean that every password can simply be extracted.
Investigators may instead examine available evidence relating to:
- Account access
- Authentication
- Stored credentials
- Security records
The specific circumstances determine what can be examined.
What If The Computer Has Been Wiped?
A wiped computer may still contain some residual evidence depending on:
- How it was wiped
- Storage technology
- Encryption
- Overwriting
- Backups
- Cloud synchronization
However, a complete forensic recovery cannot be guaranteed.
Other evidence sources may become particularly important.
What If The Computer Is Still Being Used?
Continued use can change digital evidence.
Opening applications, downloading files, browsing websites or installing software can create new information and potentially overwrite older data.
If the computer may be subject to a formal forensic examination, avoid unnecessary activity where practical and obtain appropriate professional guidance.
If there is an active security threat, however, protecting the device and accounts may take priority.
Computer Forensics For Individuals
Individuals may require computer forensic assistance following:
- Online scams
- Identity theft
- Malware
- Financial fraud
- Account takeover
- Cyber harassment
- Suspected unauthorized access
The investigation can focus on the specific computer and evidence relevant to the incident.
Computer Forensics For Businesses
Businesses may require computer forensic investigation following:
- Data breaches
- Malware attacks
- Insider incidents
- Employee misconduct
- Intellectual property theft
- Unauthorized access
- Financial fraud
Corporate cases may involve multiple computers and other evidence sources.
What Should You Do Before A Computer Forensic Examination?
If you believe your computer contains important evidence:
- Preserve suspicious emails
- Keep relevant files
- Save important URLs
- Preserve screenshots
- Record relevant dates
- Keep security notifications
- Avoid unnecessary deletion
Do not deliberately alter or destroy potentially relevant evidence.
If the device is actively compromised, appropriate cybersecurity containment may be necessary.
What Can Computer Forensics Establish?
Depending on the evidence available, computer forensics may help establish:
- What files existed
- What activity occurred
- When relevant activity occurred
- What applications were used
- What websites were accessed
- Whether suspicious software was present
- Whether deleted information may remain
- How computer activity relates to other evidence
The evidence determines the findings.
Why Early Computer Evidence Preservation Matters
Computer evidence can change simply through ordinary use.
Files can be overwritten.
Applications can update.
Logs can rotate.
Browser data can change.
Deleted information can become unrecoverable.
For this reason, early evidence preservation can be important when a computer may contain evidence relevant to a serious investigation.
Need A Computer Forensic Investigation?
If you believe a computer contains evidence relating to fraud, cybercrime, malware, unauthorized access, identity theft, data theft or another digital incident, our investigation team can assess the circumstances and explain what forensic examination may be appropriate.
Relevant evidence may include computers, laptops, external storage, emails, files, browser activity and associated online accounts.
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