Computerized data advantages surpass manually kept data since digital data is difficult, even impossible, to destroy, particularly if it gets its way into the network system. This happens due to its ability to retrieve data deleted due to the multi-storage where the same data is stored in different drives. The fact that data can also be available but its content cannot be accessed through the encrypted system that safe guard information has made e-discovery and pattern searches the most reliable mode of solving crimes in the present day and age (Arkfeld, 2010). With the accessibility of all this newly introduced technology, discovery material is obtained in electronic “native” file format to remove metadata that is contained in the computer files. Metadata is information that is stored (hidden) electronically since they contain valuable information related to a case. Storing data in this electronic format assists in searching for the same information using customary litigation support software (Arkfeld, 2010).
Evidence includes everything that is used in a case to correctly conclude or demonstrate the accuracy of a declaration. Giving or obtaining proof is the process in which while using all things, which are either alleged to be true or were proven to be true via evidence, to show an allegation is correct. Evidence is the currency by which one clears any doubt. Researching scientifically will involve the accumulation of evidence through observation of occurrences that are created in the laboratory or any other controlled conditions. The evidence that is arrived at will be used toward supporting or rejecting the hypothesis. A hypothesis is a proposed justification for an observable occurrence. The scientist will try to satisfactorily prove a theory that was previously in question or doubt. The experiments carried out will either result in conquering with or rejecting the hypothesis before solving the problem.
Computer forensics also referred to as digital forensics, is a part of forensics investigation science that deals with the collection and evaluation of permissible evidence found in computing devices and any associated storage media. It a field of forensic science that is aimed at explaining the existence, or absence, of forensic digital data found in computing devices (Kessler, 2005). It largely deals with the recovery, analysis and evaluation of digital evidence collected from computing systems, networks and other wireless devices in a way that is admissible in a court of law. A computer forensics scientist must understand the potential of the information gathered while looking at the structure of the computer network involved and the type of data handled by the system. The internet, being as wide and all encompassing as it is, is the biggest leeway to digital crimes as the crimes can be committed from anywhere in the world, as long as there is Internet connectivity. Transgressions in digital computing can range from pornography to the unlawful transmission of organizational data over a network (Kessler, 2005).
A distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) is an unlawful attack on any distributed network, such as the internet, by denying access to computing resources to the intended users(Kessler, 2005). It involves the use of the Internet and other networking devices to temporarily or permanently prevent the normal functioning of connected devices. The perpetrators of the DDoS normally flood the target computer with too many commands that it cannot handle legitimate network traffic thus denying the intended users of the target computer the provision of services. Depending on the amount of traffic directed towards the target computer, it might be permanently disabled from executing new commands and in cases when the target computer is a communications server, these data overloads may hold up network communication making transmissions impossible. A synflood is a typical example of a DDoS attack where the offensive computer sends a communication request, called a synchronous packet, to a communications server and gets it to reserve the communication channel but does not proceed with the transmission. As more synchronous packets are sent, the server becomes held up waiting for a transmission that is not forthcoming.
In the case of the United States of America versus Jason Salah Arabo, the accused used, who owned and operated an online sports apparel business, used a synflood program to launch a DDoS attack against his competitors tying up their online servers thus restricting their online transactions. This is a federal violation of computing laws and digital evidence collected against the defendant would prove the illegal acts. The primary victim of the DDoS attacks was a New Jersey sports apparel company with the initials JJ and which carried out all its transactions using an online server. As a result of the synflood attacks, the New Jersey Company, which depended on online e-commerce for all its transaction, could not carry out its business activities which resulted in huge financial losses. At approximately the same time, similar attacks were also directed towards other companies dealing with sports apparel resulting in equally high financial losses (Arkfeld 2010).
Even though computer forensic is a relatively new discipline to the courts and many of the presented laws are used to arraign legal precedent. Gradually more laws are being passed that will need organization to safe guard the privacy of data to be used in a case. The strength in the capability of forensic science to collect and evaluate evidence will show, that it has clearly followed a sound security strategy and can comfortably used in court.
References
Arkfed R.M. (2010). Electronic Discovery and Evidence. Denver: Mac Murray Printing Press.
Kessler, G.C. (2005). The case for teaching network protocols to computer forensics examiners. New Jersey, NJ: Wizard Books.