Computer Forensics Inc. Expert Collaborates on Creation of Department of Justice Guide for Examination of Digital Evidence.

SEATTLE -- Michael W. Finnie, senior forensic examiner with Seattle-based Computer Forensics Inc. (CFI), was one of the private-sector experts who participated as a member of an elite working group that has developed a comprehensive guide for U.S. law enforcement agencies to assist them with the collection and examination of digital evidence.

Finnie was appointed to a select group of professionals known as the Technical Working Group for the Examination of Digital Evidence, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ is the research and development agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is committed to enhancing the administration of justice and public safety.

"Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement" is the second in a six-part series of guides the NIJ is developing for law enforcement agencies nationwide. The guide, which can be downloaded at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/199408.htm, provides agencies with specific guidance for how to conduct a computer forensic examination and suggests a detailed five-step process for how these examinations ought to be conducted:

1. Policy and Procedure Development

2. Evidence Assessment

3. Evidence Acquisition

4. Evidence Examination

5. Documenting and Reporting

"It was an honor to collaborate with so many leading experts in the field of digital evidence on the development of a comprehensive guide that will help law enforcement agencies incorporate state-of-the-art digital evidence examination protocols into their infrastructure," said Finnie. "Moreover, although the guide was created for law enforcement professionals, the procedures, techniques and guidelines are equally applicable to the collection and examination of digital evidence in civil litigation."

Computer Forensics Inc. (CFI) is the nation's most experienced provider of data discovery services. Founded by world-renowned cybersleuth Joan Feldman, CFI pioneered the fields of electronic media discovery and electronic risk control in the early 1990s. CFI's clients rely upon the company's certified forensic, discovery and testifying experts for services including e-discovery strategy consulting, hard drive imaging and analysis, and tape restoration. The company provides electronic discovery planning and technical support to the nation's most respected law firms and corporate law departments, helping locate and examine electronic evidence buried in e-mail files, desktop and laptop computers, network servers and backup tapes.

Computer Forensics Inc. is headquartered in Seattle and operates a regional office in Lawrence, Kansas. For more information, please call 206-324-6232 or go to www.forensics.com.