What you may consider a quiet afternoon sipping a latte at the coffee shop and catching up with all your Facebook friends and email may be the quiet before the storm. The storm may end up with a computer forensics specialist performing digital forensics on your computer.
After reading 10 Computer Threats You Didn’t Know About, I wondered how many people would really take them seriously. Not because they weren’t presented seriously, but more because of the mindset that “that wouldn’t happen to me.” I’m here to tell you, it COULD happen to you and more and more “average citizens” are seeing it happen to them.
As computer forensics experts, is well aware of the increase in computer hacking and the use of spyware:
- A troubled relationship may see one party wanting to “keep tabs” on the other party because they suspect cheating or financial maneuvering
- An angry ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend isn’t ready to give up on the relationship and wants a way to find out what their ex’s new life includes.
- A jealous co-worker wants to sabotage your performance or wants to steal your clients.
- A competitor wants your client list or information about the products and services you provide.
The reasons for spyware use are endless and we have heard a lot of them – occasionally we hear a new one, but it’s rare. What isn’t rare is that spyware is intentionally installed – on a specific person’s computer. The kind of computer spyware we are talking about here is not the data farming being conducted by corporations and agencies. Our computer forensics investigations show that it’s the kind of spyware that is there to get information about a person, their communications and their movements. It’s used to get up close and personal.
Most people cringe when they consider that someone is spying on them and once they have the feeling, they want a spyware detector of some sort used in a forensic computer analysis and then they want computer spyware removal – as fast as possible.
There are regulations to follow when our forensic investigator begins a computer forensic examination. The process prevents contamination and preserves the integrity of the data gleaned in the computer data forensics recovery. Because we do that, the data may potentially be available as evidence in court proceedings and our investigators are trained to act as a computer forensics expert witness. We are there if you need us and it seems more and more people are calling us.
-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations
