Importance of Digital Forensics Within the Criminal Investigation Process

Importance of Digital Forensics within the Criminal Investigation Process
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Importance of Digital Forensics within the Criminal Investigation Process Introduction The increasing use of advanced technology across the social, political, and economic domains of the global society coupled with equally consistent technological inventions and innovations account for the increasing use of computer or digital forensics worldwide. The advent of advanced telecommunication devices, social media platforms, networking sites, and the use of artificial intelligence and automation of nearly all the daily operational activities exposes individuals, groups, and organizations to diverse criminal intents and activities. Reducing the ensuing risk of digital or computer crime and other forms of criminal activities in the increasingly digitalized society demands the development and implementation of equally advanced interventional measures. Such measures would focus on preventing the occurrence of crime and assisting in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators or suspected criminals. Digital forensics offers an effective framework for preventing, investigating, and prosecuting crime across the social, political, and economic spectrum for law enforcement and criminal investigation agencies. The criminal investigation process entails the identification, collection, preservation, examination, analysis and assessment, and presentation of evidence for the prosecution of crimes (Yadav, 2011). Digital forensics makes for valuable input in criminal investigations owing to its integral role in retrieving and interpreting electronic data and information on digital and physical crimes. The use of digital forensics is on the rise in criminal investigations as it is not only finding applications on the digital platforms but also in the physical realms through the reconstruction of crime scenes for identifying and collecting pieces of evidence. Provided herein is a comprehensive evaluation of the diverse roles of digital forensics in highlighting its importance in the criminal investigation process. Digital Forensics Digital forensics refers to a scientific process of recovering and investigating criminal activities occurring across diverse digital platforms (UNODC, 2022). It originated from the investigation of cybercrime or digital crimes but has since evolved to find use in investigating physical crimes across the different domains in society (UNODC, 2022). In essence, digital or computer forensics is being used in the investigation of fraudulent cyber activities and solving other criminal activities, including murders. For instance, the data and information collected from personal devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones may provide valuable hints and clues, allowing for the recreation of criminal events or crime scenes for the collection of evidence that may have been missed in the initial investigations (Yadav, 2011). The digital evidence collected on such occasions is integral to the criminal investigation process owing to the crucial role in ensuring the investigating agencies close their cases. However, the law enforcement agencies or investigators using digital forensics should ensure that the gathered digital evidence meets its eligibility for admission in court to achieve the desired outcomes for the process of criminal investigation. The collection of data from a suspect’s or victim’s device, including their storage accounts, should be done within the legal stipulations for the admissibility of the digital evidence collected (UNODC, 2022). Roles of Digital Forensics in the Criminal Investigation Process Like the traditional criminal investigation process, digital forensics is characteristic of unique roles that help in solving criminal cases across the different social domains. The unique roles played by digital forensics manifest across the different phases or elements of a criminal investigation process. The underlying elements or phases of any criminal investigation process include identification, collection, acquisition, preservation, analysis, and reporting (UNODC, 2022). Identification             The identification phase in a criminal investigation process entails searching for and finding the evidence. The phase often mandates the investigators to identify the persons involved in the crime, what transpired, the exact time the crime occurred, where the crime took place or its location, and how the criminal act was executed. The preliminary phase of criminal investigations provides the investigator with a framework on how to proceed or the most appro...