UK Police are having to turn down requests to investigate computer crime from businesses due to a lack of resources, the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit said last week. Mick Deats, deputy head of the unit, said the complex, time-consuming nature … Read more
News
Ibas buys computer forensics rival Vogon
Data recovery and computer forensics firm Ibas announced plans Monday to buy its main European competitor, UK-based Vogon International. The deal is based on an “earn-out” model, which specifies a minimum price of £4m ($7.5m) and a maximum of £9m … Read more
The two-edged sword: Legal computer forensics and open source
Ryan Purita of Totally Connected Security is one of the leading computer forensic experts in private practice in Canada. A GNU/Linux enthusiast, Purita often prefers open source tools. However, he frequently uses proprietary ones as well. The proprietary tools, he … Read more
New, smarter generation of Internet crooks
“I work in the fraud dept. for a well known US company, and have access to hundreds of CCs (credit card numbers) on a daily basis. All I’m looking for is an easy way to make some money and stay … Read more
Police surf in search of criminals
Police and prosecutors are awaiting the results of a forensics shakedown of the computer used at work by Richard Salewicz of Noblesville, who was arrested April 1 for soliciting sex over the Internet from an undercover officer. Noblesville (US) Police … Read more
New versions of TSK and Autopsy now available
New versions of both tools are available. Both have minor bug fixes from the new 2.00 TSK features. There is one bug that impacts split image users, so everyone should upgrade TSK. Autopsy also has a new feature that shows … Read more
To catch a (digital) thief?
Those investigating crime have long understood the value of evidence. In its most literal sense, evidence is “that which demonstrates that a fact is so”. By acquiring evidence we build a picture of what happened, how it came to be … Read more
Web Browser Forensics, Part 1
Electronic evidence has often shaped the outcome of high-profile civil law suits and criminal investigations ranging from theft of intellectual property and insider trading that violates SEC regulations to proving employee misconduct resulting in termination of employment under unfavorable circumstances. … Read more
Hi-tech crime costs UK plc £2.4bn
According to a survey for the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU), almost nine out of 10 firms suffered some kind of IT-based crime last year. A major risk was action taken by disgruntled employees, often working with crooks on the … Read more
Step-by-Step Incident Response
When a critical enterprise server is breached, a well thought-out incident response plan will help you contain damage, speed up service restoration, and collect forensic information. If you have reason to believe that a system has been compromised, either by … Read more
Another Look at Log Files
Marcus Ranum architected the first commercial firewall in 1990. He founded Network Flight Recorder Security, the company responsible for the first network forensics tool. And last summer at the Usenix conference, during a course he was teaching on log file … Read more
RCFL network plans expansion in 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The FBI is poised to expand the country’s premier computer forensics laboratory network starting in May, according to Assistant Director Kerry E. Haynes, Operational Technology Division. Additional Regional Computer Forensic Laboratories (RCFLs) are scheduled to open in Portland, … Read more
UK centre to tackle net paedophiles planned
A unit to protect children in the UK from internet paedophiles is being set up by the Home Office. About 100 staff, including police and child welfare experts will join the Centre for Child Protection on the Internet next April. … Read more
Court helps Ryanair trace staff pilots who criticised on-line
An Irish judge has awarded Ryanair an injunction to prevent the destruction of web site user data in a court battle over the identities of its pilots who criticised the airline’s working practices in an on-line forum for Ryanair pilots, … Read more
Microsoft fighting cybercrime
Microsoft is developing analytical tools to help international law enforcement agencies track and fight cybercrime. Microsoft unveiled the tools development program at the kickoff on Wednesday of three days of technical training for Australian law enforcement agencies. The Forensic Computing … Read more
Aussie Feds target computer forensics
Australia’s hi-tech crime squad has vowed to change the perception of the internet as an anonymous haven to one where users are not as nameless as they might think. At a three-day computer forensics workshop in Canberra Federal Police Australian … Read more