...Welcome to Homicide Forensic Science is a fundamental component of the justice system. Forensic scientists use scientific techniques and knowledge to assist law enforcement in investigations and solving crimes. They collect and analyze numerous types of evidence, including blood, body fluids; DNA; and human tissue. Forensic scientists assist the decision makers by showing the prosecutor if the issue has merit before it reaches the courtroom thereby reducing the number of cases having to be heard. Their decisions are based on scientific investigations and not circumstantial evidence or unreliable witnesses. Forensic scientists can restore faith in the judicial system with the use of science and technology for facts in criminal and civil investigations. The legal system is established on the belief that the legal process results in justice for all. History of forensic science The history of Forensic science or the applying of scientific principles to legal questions has a lengthy and interesting history. The first recorded autopsy was reported in 44 B.C was on Julius Caesar, where the Roman physician, Antistius proclaimed that he had 23 wounds on his body but only one was fatal. In 1248, a Chinese book entitled “His Duan Yu” (meaning The Washing Away of Wrongs) explaining how to tell apart a drowning from a strangulation. This was also the first recorded use of medicine to assist in solving crimes. In 1590, the first microscope was developed. In 1775, Karl...
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...Expert Witness Helped Convict Wrong Man A panel of six independent forensic scientists stated, in a report filed in a Houston State court, that crime laboratory supervisor James Bolding helped convict an innocent man of rape in 1987. Because Bolding either lacked basic knowledge of blood typing or gave false testimony, George Rodriguez spent 17 years in prison for a rape that he did not commit. Bolding’s testimony in the case was challenged amid a scandal that led to retesting of evidence in 360 cases; And with the report filed, that number could increase by the thousands, involving 25 years of cases. “The panel concluded that crime laboratory officials might have offered ''similarly false and scientifically unsound'' reports and testimony in other cases, and it called for a comprehensive audit spanning decades to re-examine the results of a broad array of rudimentary tests on blood, semen and other bodily fluids” (Liptak and Blumenthal, 2004). There have been many cases where forensic science and law enforcement experts have provided sworn testimony, documents, or reports intended for the court that contain unreliable or misleading information, findings, opinions, or conclusions. Some are found to have been intentionally offered by the expert in order to secure an unfair or unlawful conviction, via ‘fitting the evidence to the crime’. A state audit of the Houston police department (HPD) crime lab, completed in December 2002, found that HPDs DNA technicians there...
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...Assessment Worksheet Documenting a Workstation Configuration Using Common Forensic Tools Course Name and Number: _____________________________________________________ Student Name: ________________________________________________________________ Instructor Name: ______________________________________________________________ Lab Due Date: ________________________________________________________________ Overview In this lab, you performed a forensic analysis of a Windows 2012 machine using three commonly available tools: WinAudit, DevManView, and Frhed. You reviewed the forensic capabilities of each tool, using the sample files provided, to determine any clandestine threats or vulnerabilities such as viruses and malicious software. You also recovered a file that was altered to hide its native file format. You documented your findings in a forensics report. Lab Assessment Questions & Answers 1. What is the main purpose of a software tool like WinAudit in computer forensics? 2. Which item(s) generated by WinAudit would be of critical importance in a computer forensic investigation? 3. Could you run WinAudit from a flash drive or any other external media? If so, why is this important during a computer forensic investigation? 4. Why would you use a tool like DevManView while performing a computer forensic investigation? Copyright © 2014 by Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. All rights reserved. www.jblearning.com Student Lab Manual ...
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...In the article it was discussing all the different types of forensics there are. People think there is just one type of forensics, but there’s a wide range of all different types. I also picked this article because I think people should realize that forensics is a very hard field to go into. You really have to really have heart to be able to go into this field. Investigator’s really have to go into detail about every little thing. In the investigations you really cannot miss a single detail. The article also goes in depth about what sciences are required to take, and for that person to really know. To be in the field you really have to love what you do. Many people often misunderstand Forensic Science and believe it is much more capable than it really is. People typically think that what they watch on T.V. is 100% true. Actually what you see on T.V. is mainly false or over exaggerated in some way. Criminal Investigation is the largest and most known form of Forensic Science. More of the known areas that people know about Forensics are; Fingerprinting, DNA Identification, Fiber Samples, Computer Animation, etc. What people see on T.V. is that it takes about an hour for the people on the NCIS, or Law & Order to figure everything. Typically it takes months at a time, and most of the time aren’t even accurate concepts. This article relates to my life, because forensics is really all about a puzzle. I feel like my life is like a puzzle. But in a good way. This article was...
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...Name: Date: TRUE/FALSE Directions: Answer each of the following by indicating if the statement is TRUE or FALSE 1. The word forensics refers to the application of scientific knowledge to legal questions. TRUE 2. A fact is a statement or assertion of information that can be verified. TRUE 3. What we perceive about a person depends in part on their mannerisms and gestures. TRUE 4. Good observation skills come naturally to investigators. They do not need to be trained. FALSE 5. The first task of forensic scientists is to find, examine, and evaluate evidence from a crime scene. TRUE 6. The Innocence Project is an organization that seeks to get convicted killers out of prison. SKIP 7. Our emotional state influences our ability to see and hear what is happening around us. TRUE 8. If we remember seeing something happen, we can trust that is happened just as we think it did. FALSE 9. Through our senses of sight, taste, hearing, smell, and touch, we gather every single moment about what is around us. TRUE 10. Most wrongful convictions seem to be the result of faulty eye-witness testimony. TRUE MULTIPLE CHOICE Directions: Answer the following questions with the choice that best answers the question 1. One of the important tools of the forensic investigator is the ability to: (a) a. Observe, interpret and report observation clearly b. Observer assumptions clearly. c. Report assumptions...
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...utilizing it. On the flip side, it can also be as bad; incredibly harmful at best. When a crime has been committed, in this day in age, a computer is often the accomplice. That being said, the sooner the evidence within the computer accomplice is collected by the attending computer forensics specialists, the more likely the data that has been accessed, even if deleted, is remaining evidence on the computer; whether only in part or true to form detail. The longer the forensic team takes to collect this invaluable data, the more likely it is that the computer will overwrite key pieces of evidence, which would ultimately result in the prosecution or release of a potential criminal mind. Even partial data is extracted from the hard drive of the accomplice computer; it can still be very much useful in a prosecution, as partial data is also admissible in court today (Krehel, 2011). Securing the hard drive in the exact manner in which the computer has been found is absolutely vital to any forensic expert hoping to do their job with attention to detail and accuracy. This can be done by duplicating or replicating the hard drive at the onset of any said investigation when a computer is involved. Because forensic specialists are not attorneys, it is nearly impossible for this professional to know which data to keep and what to leave behind for overwrite. In this case, the choice is clear. There isn’t one. Every shred of data on the accomplice computer must be collected ((Biles, 2010). Just...
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...000/Yr Title: Forensics Managing Specialist –Security JOB DESCRIPTION All Forensics Candidates are encouraged to apply. Jr. to Sr. level positions are available from 2 years to 10+ years experience. Salary based on experience. A Bachelor's Degree in Forensics or related is a plus. This is a full time perm position. Must be willing to travel nationwide. Our client’s computer forensics team is a comprehensive solution for global data collections and forensic analysis. They offer best-in-class security. From small to large matters, they provide easy to understand interpretations of findings and a single point of contact. The Managing Consultant utilizes state of the art techniques that enable the recovery and use of critical electronic evidence for litigation, investigations and other fact-finding exercises. The Computer Forensics Managing Consultant establishes whether evidence has been erased or modified; analyzes electronic content and patterns of Internet and e-mail usage; recovers deleted data; and assesses and explains metadata within recovered files. RESPONSIBILITIES Manage day to day activities for projects involving computer forensics, information security or rapid response data breach matters. Manage large data preservation and collection activities to ensure that accepted forensic protocols; create and maintain Chain of Custody; document the handling of evidence. Analyze log files from firewalls, web servers and computers. Conduct forensic analysis and write...
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...Job Title | Description | Skills Required (list at least five skills, three of which are specific skills in the field of criminal justice). | Why are the skills listed needed to succeed in the position? | Computer Forensics Science Technicians | Forensic science technicians help investigate crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence. Many technicians specialize in either crime scene investigation or laboratory analysis. Most forensic science technicians spend some time writing reports. | Skills required for this career are: communication skills; composure; critical thinking skills; detail oriented; as well as problem solving skills. | Forensic science technicians write reports and testify in court. They often work with other law enforcement and specialists. Crime scenes are often the results of acts of violence and destruction, but technicians have to maintain their professionalism and objectivity. Forensic science technicians use their best judgment when matching physical evidence, such as fingerprints and DNA, to suspects. Forensic science technicians must be able to notice small changes in mundane objects to be good at collecting and analyzing evidence. Forensic science technicians use scientific tests and methods to help law enforcement officials solve crimes. | Information Security Analyst | Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization's computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding...
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...Burglary Nancy Rodriguez SEC/430 1/21/2013 Emmett Denham Burglary In the scenario of a burglary there are certain things that take place. There witness, robbers, damage to property, and missing personal items. The family’s house may be damaged or the family may get hurt. Neighbors may see or hear things while the burglary is taken place. In burglaries we must all look at why this would take place. A family goes on vacation to have fun just to come back to find out their house was robbed. They must first make sure no one is in their house and check to see what was taken or damaged in their home. In order to understand what takes place in burglary and to follow the process of the crime. We must learn how to examine the situation and how to process the crime scene. There are steps we must take in solving the burglary and how it happened. In burglaries that occur we must find ways to see things form the view of the police and how they process the evidence. The evidence in a burglary varies do to what was taken or damaged in the process of the burglary. We must see things from the eyes of the police and try to help them in the best way we can with whatever information we have about a burglary that took place either in our own home or a neighbors’ home. A family left for vacation and came home to their house being broken into and the robbers took a jewelry box and damaged the back door. They left a mess in the bedroom when they searched through the dresser drawers and...
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...A GUIDE IN FORENSIC CHEMISTRY Forensic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the application of chemical knowledge, principles, and procedures to matters involving civil or criminal law and to all questions where control of chemical compounds, products, or processes is involved. Forensic Chemistry is an interdisciplinary field of Chemistry tasked to solve cases that can only be explained or resolved by applying analytical methods of investigation and instrumentation with chemistry as the main core of discussion. Forensic chemistry is a broad and diversified field of science. It includes all branches of chemistry and the application of its principles to solve crimes when it arise in the administration of justice. Significantly, Forensic chemistry is vital in crime detection when the components or chemical composition, structure of physical evidence/s collected from the scene of the crime are needed to support in the speedy solution of crime. Application of forensic chemistry is legally applied to the following: 1. Primarily, Forensic Chemistry deals in the recognition, identification, preservation, packaging & transportation of physical evidence collected at the crime scene. 2. In crime detection, it is applied in the identification of poisons, blood, semen, feces, urine, saliva, and other body fluids whether fresh or dried. It also include other stains of interests from ob-gynecological origin, mineral stains, fruits and/or vegetable stains. 3. It is...
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...The crime scene is one that is a vital part of the criminal investigations process which has contributions from many areas of this component. In this case study there will be points expressed on the crime scene search, principles, crime scene photography, sketching the crime scene, fingerprint evidence, trace evidence, and biological evidence. Investigators have the responsibility to comprehend these segments in order to effectively manage and maintain a crime scene. The crime scene investigation consists of elements of criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional evidence. The search part of the crime scene involves a related focus which is in legal requirements. It is crucial to incorporate the Fourth Amendment in the crime scene search process which implicates the search and seizure warrant rule. Many investigators and officers are unaware of the absence of generally recognized exceptions to the search and seizure warrant rule, law enforcement officers must obtain a warrant to search a crime scene where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists. (Geberth, 2003). The procedures behind crime scene searches consist of isolating, securing, search, and document the scene, as well as obtaining physical evidence which is the physical objects linked to the order of a crime such as hairs, paint chips, fibers, and bullets. Records which are basically keeping accumulated general descriptive data of the crime scene, and witnesses. In isolating and securing the crime scene an...
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...as real space for business, education and politics. The growing danger from crimes committed against computers, or against information on computers, is beginning to claim attention in the India. The digital age has dramatically changed the scope of a crime by adding the electronic component and it comes a new form of science ≴Computer Forensic Science≵. Computer Forensic allows for the evidence of cyber crime to be admissible in court when prosecuting the cyber criminal. In most countries, existing laws are likely to be unenforceable against such crime. Cyber laws, as it stand today, gives rise to both positive & negative consequences. The main negative consequences is the digital soup so vague that many refer to it as the dark sides of technology and that cyber criminal currently have upper hand. The applicability and effectiveness of our existing laws need to be constantly reviewed to face the risk coming from the cyber world. In this paper we are going to firstly describe the computer forensic, cyber crimes, cyber laws of nation & technology challenges. Aim of this paper is to act as a catalyst to raise awareness regarding computer forensic which continues to grow as one of the most important branch of science and help in investigation of cyber crime which continues to grow as one of the most potent threats to the Internet and computer users of the cyber society of 21st century in India Introduction The rapid change occurring in the present era of Information Technology...
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...criminal, then there are some who don’t feel this way. Continue reading to decide for yourself. CSI EFFECT 3 CSI Effect What is the “CSI Effect”? Is it anything more than a myth? Actual jurors in real cases are wrongly acquitting criminals who they would have convicted if the television show CSI was not aired, as people see it as real. Prosecutors say the CSI effect forces them to explain why they have no forensic evidence, and jury selection takes longer as the people who seem to be influenced by the show are removed. Defense attorney’s agree about the effects of the television show. Producers of CSI say their show has an educational effect on the public(teaches them science). Some police feel that CSI helps educate criminals on how not to get caught. Educators think CSI attracts students to want a career in forensic science.(Knight,2010). The CSI effect does have some benefits such as understanding the use of resources to investigate cold cases and for people who have information about a crime to come forward. Donald Shelton, Greg Barak and Young Kim randomly chose 1,027 jurors in Ann Arbor, Michigan to participate in a study. First, they got demographic information, asked what they watched on television, how often and if...
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...Journal of Forensic & Investigative Accounting Vol. 4, Issue 2, 2012 The Obvious Fraud: A Short, Problem-Based Case Study to Highlight Inappropriate Fraud Examination Techniques David O’Bryan Jeffrey J. Quirin* INTRODUCTION Assume you are an internal auditor for a large, multinational, manufacturing organization with a division in Mexico. One of your responsibilities is to investigate allegations made on the company’s fraud hotline. When you arrive at work one morning you learn an anonymous tip was left on the hotline that alleges fraud involving the division manager. “Pat’s significant other is a fraudulent vendor,” was the anonymous tip left on your company’s fraud hotline. Pat is a division manager at your company. “Wow. I can’t believe this guy is so blatant,” you’re thinking as you review some accounts payable invoices while following up on this anonymous tip. The invoice that caught your attention is shown in Table 1. A quick search of the AP file reveals a total of three invoices like the one in Table 1, all for identical amounts but on different dates. The division manager, Pat, has the authority to approve payment of invoices for less than $10,000. It is obvious to you that the manager has a created a shell company. You happen to know that Pat’s significant other is named Kim, hence the name Kimco Marketing. There is no documentation to support these transactions other than the invoices, all of which are purportedly for marketing services. * The authors are, respectively...
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...Computer Forensics I (FOR 240-81A) Project #3 Case Background The Suni Munshani v. Signal Lake Venture Fund II, LP, et al suit is about email tampering, perjury, and fraud. On December 18, 2000, Suni Munshani (Plaintiff) filed a suit against Signal Lake Venture Fund. Mr. Munshani claimed that he was entitled to warrants in excess of $25 million dollars from Signal Lake. In February 2001, Signal Lake Venture Fund II, LP, et al. (Defendant) became privy to the court filings in this case. Within the filings there was an email provided by Mr. Munshani from Hemant Trivedi, CEO of one of the portfolio companies, stating he was indeed entitled to the warrants. Mr. Trivedi denied any knowledge of the email, or any such communication with Mr. Munshani. In an effort to prove their innocence, Signal Lake hired a computer forensic group to conduct a private investigation. The investigation did not show any evidence of the supposed email provided to the court by Mr. Munshani. Mr. Trivedi filed an affidavit stating that the email was forged, while Mr. Munshani filed an affidavit stating the email was real. In March 2001, a computer forensics expert, Kenneth R. Shear, was appointed by the court to perform a forensic examination on the questioned message (the message provided by Mr. Munshani) and the comparative message (a second message from Mr. Trivedi found on Mr. Munshani’s computer). Mr. Shear worked for a company called Electronic Evidence Discovery, Inc. (EED). Mr. Shear’s forensic...
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