The proliferation of computer
use in today's networked society is creating some complex side effects in the
application of the age-old greed, jealousy, and revenge. Criminals are becoming
much more sophisticated in committing crimes. Computers are being encountered
in almost every type of criminal activity. Gangs use computers to clone mobile
telephones and to re-encode credit cards. Drug dealers use computers to store
their transaction ledgers. Child pornography distributors use the Internet to
peddle and trade their wares. Fraud schemes have been advertised on the Internet.
Counterfeiters and forgers use computers to make passable copies of paper currency
or counterfeit cashiers checks, and to create realistic looking false identification.In
addition, information stored in computers has become the target of criminal activity.
Information such as social security and credit card numbers, intellectual property,
proprietary information, contract information, classified documents, etc., have
been targeted. Further, the threat of malicious destruction of software, employee
sabotage, identity theft, blackmail, sexual harassment, and commercial and government
espionage is on the rise. Personnel problems are manifesting themselves in the
automated environment with inappropriate or unauthorized use complaints resulting
in lawsuits against employers as well as loss of proprietary information costing
millions of dollars. All of this has led to an explosion in the number and complexity
of computers and computer systems encountered in the course of criminal or internal
investigations and the subsequent seizure of computer systems and stored electronic
communications.Computer evidence has become a 'fact of life' for essentially all
law enforcement agencies and many are just beginning to explore their options
in dealing with this new venue. Almost overnight, personal computers have changed
the way the world does business. They have also changed the world's view of evidence
because computers are used more and more as tools in the commission of 'traditional'
crimes. Evidence relative to embezzlement, theft, extortion and even murder has
been discovered on personal computers. This new technology twist in crime patterns
has brought computer evidence to the forefront in law enforcement circles