Digital forensic software developers need to keep up with new advancements. Investigators need digital forensic tools to keep up with current and future technology. Forensic investigators face the challenge of evolving threats and increasing data volumes. 

The Dark Web is a hidden corner of the internet where criminals can anonymously conduct illegal activities such as selling drugs, weapons, stolen data, and other illicit goods and services.

As cyber threats and online criminal activities continue to become more sophisticated, it is essential to understand the complexities of the digital world and how the latest advancements in crypto forensics can help combat cyberterrorism. 

As you may know, the dark web is one of the most complex and secretive networks out there that many criminal and intelligence networks use to attack civilians and federal systems. In addition, much of the online child exploitive material and stolen identities are committed using the dark web. As tools are being developed to explore these criminals' hidden servers and chatrooms, law enforcement professionals and investigators still need a process to investigate these types of crimes quickly but with absolute thoroughness.

You may have heard a bit about the dark web and how it is used for illicit activities such as buying and selling drugs, firearms, or other illegal items. But this is only part of the problem. The dark web has much more to offer a malicious user than criminals looking to sell stolen items. The dark web provides anonymous users the ability to stalk children, steal identities, and do many more criminal activities. 

Cyber Crime Investigation is a broad term in the investigation community. Cyber crimes can be as simple as password stealing, phishing schemes, or as complex or cruel as child exploitation, human trafficking, and ransomware attacks. The tactics investigators use to catch the suspects involved can vary based on the type of cybercrime committed. Before investigating, there are still a few key steps an investigator must take to ensure they gather and analyze all the evidence correctly.

Even though Digital Forensics has expanded its capabilities and use-cases since its inception, it is constantly evolving and you need to be prepared for the changes coming. New features on computers and smartphones are causing existing digital forensics features to be outdated and unreliable when investigating. New crimes are being committed and the tools in existence are not capable of collecting and processing that sort of evidence yet. But not to worry, there are many companies out there researching tools to handle investigations in critical areas of development. Here are 5 key areas you want to make sure your team has the most up-to-date technology and the most experienced training.

Cryptocurrency has expanded in use since it was created in 2009. The idea of creating a decentralized currency to avoid the regulation of banks and governments created a new avenue not only for criminals but also for terrorist organizations. Terrorists such as jihadists around the world have been trading crypto coins to purchase weapons and drugs to continue their attacks on innocent civilians.

Human trafficking encompasses a set of horrific and egregious crimes plaguing our world and destroying individuals and their families. These criminals use innovative and ever-changing methods to hide their activities and keep their victims silent, making their crimes difficult to detect and their identities challenging to discover. However, the same financial motivation that pushes individuals to commit these crimes can be their undoing when law enforcement has access to the most up-to-date digital forensics software, is able to locate the bank accounts and exact transactions involved in illegal activities.

We at ADF are always proud to showcase our partners from around the world and introduce their unique perspectives on digital and cyber forensics. We are proud to highlight and share the thoughts of one of our newest ADF Partners, Cindy Vazquez at DG Forensiks in Mexico City, Mexico.

As the world’s financial systems advance in digital technology and cryptocurrency, the need for digital forensics grows greater. The use of blockchain technology has allowed crimes to go undetected through the eyes of a regular investigator. These crimes no longer take months of in-depth planning and deception before executing but can now be committed within minutes because of the processing power of computers and the speed of the internet. Crimes such as:

The 2021 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation training conference will be held online this year. This annual training event is designed to train and educate prosecutors, digital forensic examiners, investigators, and law enforcement professionals on specialized training in the subject of investigating and prosecuting technology facilitated Crimes Against Children. 

On-scene, it can be impractical for investigators to seize all the digital devices they locate so investigators that are able to triage on-scene only seize devices with relevant data.

Without digital forensic triage, investigators have to collect every device.