Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals

Understanding Digital Evidence From The Warrant To The Courtroom

Larry Daniel, Larry E. Daniel is one of the country's top digital forensic experts with experience in hundreds of civil and criminal cases.
Lars Daniel, Lars Daniel is a digital forensics examiner and forensic artist with Guardian Digital Forensics.

Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals provides you with a guide to digital technology forensics in plain English. In the authors years of experience in working with attorneys as digital forensics experts, common questions arise again and again: What do I ask for? Is the evidence relevant? What does this item in the forensic report mean? What should I ask the other expert? What should I ask you? Can you explain that to a jury? This book answers many of those questions in clear language that is understandable by non-technical people. With many illustrations and diagrams that will be usable in court, they explain technical concepts such as unallocated space, forensic copies, timeline artifacts and metadata in simple terms that make these concepts accessible to both attorneys and juries.

The authors also explain how to determine what evidence to ask for, evidence might be that could be discoverable, and the methods for getting to it including relevant subpoena and motion language. Additionally, this book provides an overview of the current state of digital forensics, the right way to select a qualified expert, what to expect from a qualified expert and how to properly use experts before and during trial.

Buy this

Paperback, 368 Pages

Published: September 2011

Imprint: Syngress

ISBN: 978-1-59749-643-8

Reviews

"No competent lawyer is foolish enough not to appreciate the pervasiveness of digital evidence, or that digital forensics requires mastery far beyond his ken. Larry Daniels book provides the most comprehensive, nuts and bolts resource for trial lawyers on digital forensics. This isnt the sort of book to skim and stick on the shelf, but to keep on our desk because well need it that often. This is part of the trial lawyers bible."--Scott H. Greenfield, Criminal Defense Attorney, New York City
"This isn't your stock standard book focusing on how to do digital forensics, it's an innovative text focusing on preparing technical and legal professionals for dealing with litigation. This is a must-have addition to anyone's digital forensic/legal library."--Jonathan T. Rajewski, Professor of Digital Forensics, Champlain College
"There is so much valuable information contained within this book that I found it was difficult to put down once I started it. Its readability is excellent and I could directly and immediately apply the book's lessons to my day-to-day work within technology, project management, and electronic discovery. As I was finishing the final two chapters, an attorney came to me with a case project that included a digital evidence acquisition with multiple cell phones and, lo-and-behold, I was equipped to speak to the process of the data acquisition and intelligently begin the project due to this book. Digital evidence is here to stay and the management of that evidence has been made easier to understand with Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals."--Law Technology News

Section 1: What is Digital Forensics?
Chapter 1 Digital Evidence is Everywhere
Chapter 2 Overview of Digital Forensics
Chapter 3 Digital Forensics - The Sub-Disciplines
Chapter 4 The Foundations of Digital Forensics - Best Practices
Chapter 5 Overview of Digital Forensics Tools
Chapter 6 Digital Forensics at Work in the Legal System
Section 2: Experts
Chapter 7 Why Do I Need an Expert?
Chapter 8 The Difference between Computer Experts and Digital Forensic Experts
Chapter 9 Selecting a Digital Forensics Expert
Chapter 10 What to Expect from an Expert
Chapter 11 Approaches by Different Types of Examiners
Chapter 12 Spotting a Problem Expert
Chapter 13 Qualifying an Expert in Court
Sections 3: Motions and Discovery
Chapter 14 Overview of Digital Evidence Discovery
Chapter 15 Discovery of Digital Evidence in Criminal Cases
Chapter 16 Discovery of Digital Evidence in Civil Cases
Chapter 17 Discovery of Computers and Storage Media
Chapter 18 Discovery of Video Evidence
Chapter 19 Discovery of Audio Evidence
Chapter 20 Discovery of Social Media Evidence
Chapter 21 Discovery in Child Pornography Cases
Chapter 22 Discovery of Internet Service Provider Records
Chapter 23 Discovery of Global Positioning System Evidence
Chapter 24 Discovery of Call Detail Records
Chapter 25 Obtaining Expert Funding in Indigent Cases
Section 4: Common Types of Digital Evidence
Chapter 26 Hash Values: The Verification Standard
Chapter 27 Metadata
Chapter 28 Thumbnails and the Thumbnail Cache
Chapter 29 Deleted Data
Chapter 30 Computer Time Artifacts (MAC Times)
Chapter 31 Internet History (Web and Browser Caching)
Chapter 32 Windows Shortcut Files (Link Files)
Chapter 33 Cellular System Evidence and Call Detail Records
Chapter 34 Email Evidence
Chapter 35 Social Media
Chapter 36 Peer to Peer Networks and File Sharing
Chapter 37 Cell Phones
Chapter 38 Video and Photo Evidence
Chapter 39 Databases
Chapter 40 Accounting Systems and Financial Software
Chapter 41 Multiplayer Online games
Chapter 42 Global Positioning Systems

Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals

Reviews

Contents