BOOK REVIEW - Handbook of Computer Crime Investigation

In recent years computers have made possible almost unimaginable advances in fields from medicine to communications and from aviation to defense. Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, has credited the unparalleled economic expansion of the 1990s and our recent economic recovery to increased productivity also made possible by computers. However, as with any technological advance there is dark side and this is equally true with the computer revolution. Computers can be used and have been used in virtually every type of traditional crime from child pornography to financial fraud. In addition, computers themselves can be the target of the crime. Our reliance on computers has made the United States increasingly vulnerable to cyberwarfare. Indeed, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, have led many people to speculate that the next terrorist incident may be a catastrophic attack on our nation’s computer systems. However, even without cyberterrorism the incidents of breaches of computer security have increased markedly in the last few years.

Investigating computer crime and other crimes involving the collection of electronic evidence has proved to be a major challenge for both federal and state law enforcement authorities. Not only does the anonymity and generally borderless nature of the Internet make it that much more difficult to identify a suspect, but as the Handbook of Computer Crime Investigation: Forensic Tools and Technology points out the collection of electronic evidence is fundamentally different from other types of evidence in a number of important respects. First, the distributed nature of networks can result in crime scenes being located in different jurisdictions which may create practical and jurisdictional problems. Second, because digital data is easily deleted or changed it is necessary to collect and preserve it as quickly as possible. Third, a wide range of technical expertise is required when networks are involved in a crime. Because every network is different, combining different technologies in unique ways, no single individual is equipped to deal with every situation. Therefore, it is often necessary to find individuals who are familiar with given technology before evidence can be collected. And, four, the volume of digital data can make searching for useful evidence like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.