Computer Forensics: Computer Crime Scene Investigation (With CD-ROM) (Networking Series)

Finally, let’s briefly look at the following types of business computer forensics technology:

• Remote monitoring of target computers

• Creating trackable electronic documents

• Theft recovery software for laptops and PCs

• Basic forensic tools and techniques

• Forensic services available

Remote Monitoring of Target Computers

Data Interception by Remote Transmission (DIRT) from Codex Data Systems (CDS), Inc.^[ix] is a powerful remote control monitoring tool that allows stealth monitoring of all activity on one or more target computers simultaneously from a remote command center. No physical access is necessary. Application also allows agents to remotely seize and secure digital evidence prior to physically entering suspect premises.

Creates Trackable Electronic Documents

Binary Audit Identification Transfer (BAIT) is another powerful intrusion detection tool from CDS^[x] that allows the user to create trackable electronic documents. Unauthorized intruders who access, download, and view these tagged documents will be identified (including their location) to security personnel. BAIT also allows security personnel to trace the chain of custody and chain of command of all who possess the stolen electronic documents.

Theft Recovery Software for Laptops and PCs

If your PC or laptop is stolen, is it smart enough to tell you where it is? According to a recent FBI report, 97% of stolen computers are never recovered.

Also, according to Safeware Insurance, 756,000 PCs and laptops were stolen in 1997 and 1998, costing owners $2.3 billion dollars. And, according to a recent joint Computer Security Institute/FBI survey, 69% of the Fortune 1000 companies experienced laptop theft.

Nationwide losses of computer component theft cost corporate America over $8 billion a year. So, if your company experiences computer-related thefts and you do nothing to correct the problem, there is an 89% chance you will be hit again.

WHAT IS THE REAL COST OF A STOLEN LAPTOP OR PC?

When you lose your wallet, the last thing you think of is how much it is going to cost to replace your wallet. The same is true when equipment (especially a computer) is stolen.

Our mothers always told us, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” They were right. Think about what it really costs to replace a stolen computer.

• The price of the replacement hardware

• The price of replacing the software

• The cost of recreating data. If possible at all, do you keep perfect back-ups?

• The cost of lost production time or instruction time

• The loss of customer goodwill (lost faxes, delayed correspondence or billings, problems answering questions and accessing data)

• The cost of reporting and investigating the theft; filing police reports and insurance claims

• The cost of increased insurance

• The cost of processing and ordering for replacements, cutting a check, and the like

• If a thief is ever caught (?), the cost of time involved in prosecution^[xi]

So, doesn’t it make sense to use an ounce of prevention? You don’t have to be a victim!

With that in mind, CDS has a solution: PC PhoneHome^[xii]—another software application that will track and locate a lost or stolen PC or laptop anywhere in the world. It is easy to install. It is also completely transparent to the user. If your PC PhoneHome-protected computer is lost or stolen, all you need to do is make a report to the local police and call CDS’s 24-hour command center. CDS’s recovery specialists will assist local law enforcement in the recovery of your property.

Basic Forensic Tools and Techniques

The Digital Detective Workshop’ from CDS was created to familiarize investigators and security personnel with the basic techniques and tools necessary for a successful investigation of Internet and computer-related crimes. Topics include: types of computer crime, cyber law basics, tracing e-mail to source, digital evidence acquisition, cracking passwords, monitoring computers remotely, tracking on-line activity, finding and recovering hidden and deleted data, locating stolen computers, creating trackable files, identifying software pirates, and so on.

Forensic Services Available

Through Forensic Evidence Acquisition Services, CDS forensic experts can provide management with a potent arsenal of digital tools at its disposal. Services include but are not limited to:

• Lost password and file recovery

• Location & retrieval of deleted and hidden files

• File and e-mail decryption

• E-mail supervision and authentication

• Threatening e-mail traced to source

• Identification of Internet activity

• Computer usage policy and supervision

• Remote PC and network monitoring

• Tracking and location of stolen electronic files

• Honeypot sting operations

• Location and identity of unauthorized SW users

• Theft recovery software for laptops and PCs

• Investigative and security software creation

• Protection from hackers and viruses^[xiii]

^[ix]Codex Data Systems, Inc., 143 Main Street, Nanuet, New York 10954, USA, 2001.

^[x]Ibid.

^[xi]Ibid.

^[xii]Ibid.

^[xiii]Ibid.