Types of
Computer Forensics Software
Tools are
needed in order to efficiently do a job. This is true for all professions
including that of computer forensics professionals. This is why these experts
in computer forensics maintain a set of computer forensics software that
they use to regularly do their job. These tools enable them to efficiently
extract digital data from a host of electronic devices in all kinds of
conditions. Here are a few types of those software.
Data Retrieval
Software – data retrieval is the essential task of computer forensics
professionals. Most computer evidence comes in the form of electronic data. As
such a computer forensic professional must be able to extract data from all
kinds of digital devices. Data retrieval software can make things easier for
them by automating some of the mundane tasks of locating where the data is
stored and extracting them. These special software can even extract data from
encrypted systems, password protected archives and even from damaged memory
storage devices like hard drives and DVD-RWs. Data retrieval software is an
important part of a computer forensics professional’s toolkit. These software
are not only able to extract data from computers, they can also extract them
from mobile phones, PDAs and even digital music players.
Network
Investigation Software – another
important aspect of computer forensics is network investigations. More and more
data is now stored on networked servers online. More and more crimes are also
committed over the network lines. Take for example a murder case. Computer
forensics is done on the computer and its corresponding internet activities in
order to determine if the victim was stalked by the murderer online. Special
software that detect illegal hacking activities, tapping as well as taking over
a computer is used by the forensics expert in order to trace the source of
these illegal activities. These software programs are power enough that they
can trace an illegal intrusion back to the source computer and tap all its components
in order to identify the perpetrator. Sometimes they can be able to turn the
criminal’s web cam on in order to get a facial identification of the criminal.
Data
Reconstruction Software – technically
inclined criminals sometimes destroy their computers to attempt to destroy any
compromising evidence that it contains. They usually do this in panic while
they are being arrested. Sometimes these hard drives are physically damaged
that there’s almost no hope of retrieving data from it. However there are specialized
software that forensics experts can use to attempt to reconstruct data from
these damaged drives.
There are a lot
of other computer forensics software aside from these the three
previously mentioned types. These are developed by private companies side by
side with law enforcement. Most of these software are so exclusive, you need a
special license just to be able to buy and use them.
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