Even as the world continues to evolve, humanity’s struggle against the threat of crime goes on. Human trafficking is one of the most horrifying, yet complex, areas in the criminal landscape. For centuries, this crime has threatened societies around the globe. The sheer scale of human trafficking is often difficult to comprehend.
According to some of the most recent reports from the International Labour Organisation an approximate 40.3 million victims are trapped in instances of modern-day slavery. 24.9 million were found to be exploited for labour, while 15.4 million were in forced marriages. To put this into perspective, the numbers would suggest there are 5.4 victims of exploitation for every 1,000 people in the world today.
Until now, the biggest challenge in developing targeted counter-trafficking responses on a global scale has been lack of access to the correct data, forensics and evidence. Fortunately, the digital revolution has brought forward the solutions.
Addressing Human Trafficking on a Global Scale
Having access to the correct data in the right format to build a case against human traffickers is important for a number of reasons. Not only does the evidence collected forensically in a case of trafficking help ensure justice for the victim, it can also be fundamental in detecting instances of human trafficking in the future.
When cases are properly managed, recorded and documented, they help to inform future strategies for protecting societies against the threat of human trafficking, exploitation and other underhanded criminal activities. A more standardised approach to data collection and management in human trafficking cases could mark the beginning of more streamlined prosecutions and lower crime numbers in the future.
Using Technology for Forensic Evidence Collection
As human trafficking rings and practices often leave trails across a number of digital landscapes, today’s investigators must be able to leverage data from a range of different environments, including mobile phones, applications, laptops and storage devices. In the past, few software programs have allowed for extensive and accurate discovery, while maintaining the integrity of digital evidence.
Detego’s digital forensic technology suite provides a powerful new solution for prosecutors and investigators fighting against human trafficking. With these tools, professionals can pull data from password-protected devices, deleted files and more, to form a comprehensive picture of the circumstances that allow human trafficking to happen in our society.
Detego’s forensic evidence technology takes a multi-level approach to the fight against human trafficking, with:
- All-in-one forensics: Detego’s unified investigations platform allows investigators to collect evidence from over 15,000 branded and non-brand mobile devices, as well as locked computers, smart devices, storage hardware and burner phones. The system can easily bypass security keys and extract information from over 2,000 apps. Detego’s technology can extract 1TB of data from a system in less than 8 minutes.
- Detego Field Triage: This technology ensures law enforcement groups can quickly assess devices in the field. The system can rapidly examine the data within a device, and use a patented red, amber, green light system to highlight whether further investigation is necessary. By using HASH sets and keywords from vast databases, Detego’s Field Triage tool can perform HASH matches in seconds, not hours.
- AI insights: With artificial intelligence, quickly detect objects, words, nudity and even children, teenagers and adults in photos to help highlight the most important evidence in an investigation. This allows for the rapid collection of essential information in a trafficking case, with fewer manual searches for law enforcement professionals.
- Detego Fusion: Aside from helping track down valuable pieces of data, the solution enables teams to highlight the connections between different cases, devices, suspects and files. The connection-tracking system can determine links between members in a trafficking group or exploitation ring. And at the click of a button, it can cross-match exhibits to help identify common data and links between suspects.
- Detego Analyse: This analysis technology allows professionals aiming to prosecute trafficking criminals to access the information they need to take the case to court. The system includes fully automated workflows with in-depth forensic analysis, photo DNA, video analytics and stenography tools, ensuring detections are available in seconds.
With a comprehensive data-driven approach, we can finally take the correct steps towards a world where human trafficking criminals are stopped.
Visit www.detegoglobal.com to find out how you can strengthen your investigations with cutting-edge digital forensics technology.
