Computer Forensics

Computer forensics, also known as computer forensic science, could be best defined as a branch of digital forensic science having to do with legal evidence found in computers and digital storage media. Examining digital media in a forensically sound manner with the aim of identifying, preserving, recovering, analyzing and presenting facts and opinions about the information is the goal of computer forensics. Although, most of the time it is used when investigating computer crimes, computer forensics could also be used in civil proceedings. 

This has been used in many high profile cases and is being more and more popular throughout the US and European court systems. In the 1980's hacking and committing fraud on computers would be considered a "computer crime." Computer forensics started at this time as a method to investigate and find out digital evidence of the crime to present in court. Today it is used in many ways to investigate a variety of crime such as child pornography, fraud, and rape. Computer forensics has been used as evidence in criminal law since the mid 1980's some well known examples of people who have committed "computer crimes" are BTK Killer Dennis Rader, Sharon Lopatka, and many more.  

 - "CyberSecurity Institute: What Is Computer Forensics?" CyberSecurity Institute: World Class Computer Forensics Services and Training. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.csisite.net/forensics.htm>.

  - "Computer Forensics." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_forensics>.

- "HowStuffWorks "How Computer Forensics Works"" HowStuffWorks "Computer"Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-forensic.htm>.