What it is^
Through major technological developments, a substantial part of human cognition, communication and information management has been transferred to digital systems. Computers made possible the quantitative and qualitative processing of large volumes of information and changed production, services and administration.
The expansion of computers, electronic networks and telecommunications upgrades traditional activities in communication, movement of persons, goods and capital, provision of services, electronic transactions and Internet access at national and international level.
Information associated with the use of digital systems may be subjected to interference, such as alteration or manipulation, falsification, circulation or unauthorized access to data, and may also constitute the material element of other offences, such as the illegal circulation of material, computer forgery and fraud, defamation, network intrusion and sabotage, and the distribution of viruses. These forms of interference, also known as high-technology crime, are not static; they continually evolve, often within a very short period. According to the manner in which they are committed, they are divided into offences committed through the use of computers (computer crime) and offences committed through the Internet or cyberspace (cyber crime). Internet offences are further classified as offences against society, offences against property and offences against the individual rights of citizens.
Digital systems include general-purpose programmable electronic systems that process data through software instructions, as well as electronic or magnetic recording and storage media that communicate with other systems for the use of recorded information.
Fields of Application ^
The field of digital systems, Internet and telecommunications is active where laboratory examination or digital-trace investigation is required.
- Laboratory examinations of devices and software used for digital information managementare carried out to establish facts and information connected with the assigned case, such as computers, peripherals, mobile phones, electronic organizers, card magnetic strips and similar media.
- Special examinations for tracing the address or digital trace of an electronic systemare performed where the Internet or telecommunications were used to commit the acts under investigation, such as obstruction of cyber traffic, modification or theft of data, network intrusion and sabotage, unauthorized access, virus distribution, facilitation of offences, forgery or fraud, for the purpose of identifying and associating the user of the digital system concerned with those acts.
Laboratory Examinations ^
Using internationally recognized, scientifically documented and court-admissible scientific and technical methods, we conduct examinations of digital systems in accordance with the applicable legislation.
- Reading, recovery and comparison of digital files stored on computer electromagnetic media or peripheral systems.
- Reading and comparison of digital files stored in the memory or cards of mobile phones, fax devices and other electronic devices.
- Reading magnetic-stripe content of credit and other cards and examining modern digital data-storage media.
- Examination of software piracy and unauthorized digital recordings, including programs, CDs and DVDs.
- Encryption and decryption examinations.
- Verification and certification of Internet and telecommunications user actions, illegal material circulation, offences and malicious digital attacks or intrusions.
Evaluation - Utilization ^
In addition, we perform:
- Evaluation of laboratory-examination reports by state and other laboratories or specialistsin cases involving digital systems, Internet and telecommunications.
- Utilization of evidencethat requires further examination, by identifying forensic points for additional analysis, documentation and presentation, including points that could have been examined but were not requested.
Studies - Training ^
In addition, we undertake:
- Preparation of studies and submission of proposalsconcerning special preventive and suppressive measures and the procurement of specialized equipment and software for the security of local and wide-area networks and for protection against offences committed through digital systems, e-mail, the Internet and telecommunications, such as malicious digital attacks or intrusions into computer systems, suspicious communications in chat rooms, malicious programs, Trojan horses, worms, cookies, phishing, spam, malware, dialers and similar threats.
These studies and proposals are mainly addressed to public services, organizations, private or broader public-sector enterprises and individuals, and are adapted to the requirements of each body. - Preparation of special training programs and information seminarsfor protection against the above forms of attack, adapted to the requirements of each body.
- Inspectionof the software and protective equipment held by the interested party.
Indicative questions that may be raised, depending on the examined case^
- In the S/W used, is the code original or has it been stolen or misappropriated from elsewhere? (intellectual property etc.)
- Are the seized optical discs genuine or illegal copies?
- Do contested data arise from reading the memory of a mobile phone, electronic organizer or similar device?
- What data are contained in the magnetic strip of the card? (credit card, telephone card etc.)
- Can the contested digital document under examination be decrypted?
- Can an Internet user who commits illegal acts through its use, such as insult, fraud or financial crime, be identified?
- Was the account used to circulate material on the Internet created by the alleged holder or by another person, from where and by whom?
- Can it be established whether the E-mail under investigation is real or virtual?
