| Computer Forensics is the scientific study of | | | | be wiped clean. However, without an unconditional |
| computers or computer related data in relation to an | | | | format (and in rare cases, even with the unconditional |
| investigation by a law enforcement agency for use in | | | | switch) the data can still be retrieved. It takes an |
| a court of law. While this technology may be as old as | | | | expert in computer forensics however. It takes |
| computers themselves, the advances in technology | | | | someone who is familiar with the technology of the |
| are constantly revising this science. | | | | computer to reconstruct all of the data that has been |
| In the technological old days, computer forensics was | | | | wiped off of the hard drive. |
| mostly related to data dumps, printing out every | | | | Computer forensics can be used to track emails, |
| keystroke that had been logged on a computer in a | | | | instant messaging and just about any other form of |
| series of eight digits, all of them zeroes and ones. | | | | computer related communications. This can be |
| Literally cases of paper would be used for the printing | | | | necessary, especially in the world today. Experts have |
| of the materials. Systems analysts would then have to | | | | even advanced the technology to the point that they |
| convert all of the data into hex and then translate the | | | | can track data real time, or while it is actually being |
| value into whatever the actual keystroke was. In this | | | | sent and received. This is a mind-numbing task when |
| way, it was possible to go over all of the data and | | | | you think about the billions of communications going on |
| figure out at what point the computer and the | | | | around the globe at any given time, but the science of |
| corresponding program crashed. Like computers and | | | | computer forensics is constantly advancing every bit |
| technology, Computer forensics has evolved by leaps | | | | as quickly or sometimes even faster than the |
| and bounds since those days of old. | | | | technology they are responsible for investigating. |
| While all computer language still ultimately boils down to | | | | It is an interesting aspect of technology that is often |
| ones and zeroes or binary and then hex, the means | | | | overlooked. Computer forensics have been used to |
| by which programs are created, run and utilized has | | | | solve many crimes and should be considered a viable |
| changed drastically. This new science has done well to | | | | tool in many ways and the study of this subject is |
| keep up with the task at hand. Now hard drives can | | | | constantly growing along with technology. |