New Breed of Data Forensics Specialists Help Recover Data For Use as Courtroom Evidence

Businesses and law firms are increasingly turning to data forensics specialists to extract and preserve data from computers for use as courtroom evidence. Civil suits involving fraud, embezzlement, employment or theft of intellectual property often hinge on electronic data. Culprits leave a trail of evidence that's difficult to delete.

CINCINNATI, OH July 22, 2004 -- Chris Hallgren is receiving a growing number of calls from businesses and law firms seeking his help. Hallgren owns Helios Data Forensics, a company that helps clients identify, locate and secure computer data for use as evidence in civil lawsuits.

Computer forensics uncovers data that is often vital to civil litigation involving fraud, embezzlement, intellectual property, employment and other cases. In order for electronic data to be admissible in court, strict procedures must be followed regarding the handling of evidence. Hallgrens work ensures that the chain of evidence is protected and will withstand legal scrutiny.

Hallgren uses Guidance Softwares EnCase Forensic Edition, the same technology used by many law enforcement agencies.

Almost everything a person does on a computer leaves a trace a trace that often can be used as evidence, Hallgren said. It is very difficult to completely remove data from a hard drive, and files that that have been deleted are often recoverable. Disk space that has been formatted can often be restored. Information that has been embedded within images or non-related documents in an effort to conceal its content can often be extracted and examined. Email. Chat logs. Digital pictures. Web sites visited. All of this can potentially be recovered.

A businesss own internal staff can render evidence inadmissible and useless if they attempt to recover information on their own, he added. Just as an untrained person could unknowingly destroy evidence at a crime scene, people not trained in computer forensics can damage digital evidence.

Hallgren parlayed 12 years experience in IT consulting and computer programming into becoming a data forensics specialist. The majority of data forensics specialists are in law enforcement or at large law firms. Now Hallgren makes the technology available to a broader audience.

For more information, visit www.heliosdataforensics.com.

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