Digital and Multimedia Forensic Evidence

The book I read to research this post was Handbook of Digital and Multimedia Forensic Evidence by John J Barbara which is an excellent book. This book is a collection of essays on digital forensics edited by John. There is often confusion over the meaning of certification and accredition. Certification is when a worker gains a qualification to help him do his job. Accredition is when a laboratory passes an inspection that allows it to do its work. It's often assessed on things like the workers qualifications, their practises and their equipment. Nowadays devices are getting smaller and the amount of storage is ever increasing. Things like micro SD cards are easy to conceal and easy to miss in a search. There is a constant battle between the technology of prosecuting villians and the various technologies of concealment. The forensic investigator needs to be abreast of both types of technology. Criminals often use things like smartphones and tablets. They also often use encryption. These technologies are also spawning a whole host of new crimes from phishing to downloading child porn. The latter is a multi million dollar industry. Many peer 2 peer sites like the now defunct limeware have child porn but there are also dedicated sites that charge large fees. Much of this can be traced back to organised crime often in foreign countries. In america the standard punishment if you download it is 5-10 years in prison and if you manufacture it is 15 years upwards.