The Electronic Crime Scene

The proliferation of digital electronic devices during the past twenty years has created several challenges for public and private investigators. How does an investigator recognize, acquire, preserve, and present electronic evidence, evidence that by its very nature is transient? In an effort to answer these and more significant questions, the US Department of Justice has begun publishing a series of guidelines that public and private investigators can use. The first two have been published and are linked here.

Electronic Crime Scene Investigation - A Guide for First Responders

Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement

Future publication topics in the series will include:

• Investigative uses of technology
• Investigating electronic technology crimes
• Creating a digital evidence forensic unit
• Courtroom presentation of digital evidence

These publications are useful not only for investigators but also for students, newspaper reporters, and others who need to be better able to understand the complexities of digital crimes.