Computer Forensics Tools Enable Professionals to Harvest Detailed ``Metadata'' Information from Hard Drives.Business Editors/Legal Writers/High-Tech Writers SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2003 Cyber sleuths engaged in the war with Iraq and the pursuit of the global al-Qaeda terrorist network are making use of powerful computer forensics The investigation of a computer system believed to be involved in cybercrime. Forensic software provides a variety of tools for investigating a suspect PC. Such programs may include a function that copies the entire hard drive to another system for inspection, allowing the original to tools that are becoming more commonplace in the world of U.S. business litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. . The recent arrest of Khalid Sheikh sheikh or shaykh Among Arabic-speaking tribes, especially Bedouin, the male head of the family, as well as of each successively larger social unit making up the tribal structure. The sheikh is generally assisted by an informal tribal council of male elders. Mohammad in Pakistan, the suspected planner of the September 11, 2001, attacks, yielded a computer hard drive with substantial electronic data regarding al-Qaeda's financial pipeline. This information was harvested by computer forensics professionals using software tools that allow "metadata" and hidden data to be extracted from computer drives. "U.S. intelligence officials are leveraging powerful software tools that we use every day in order to access hidden files and metadata stored on computer hard drives," said Joan Feldman, founder and president of Computer Forensics, Inc., a Seattle-based firm that is one of the nation's leading providers of computer discovery services See service discovery. for litigation. "With more than 50 fields of information embedded into files, metadata is the real treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. of electronic discovery." According to Feldman, although metadata is extremely useful to computer forensics specialists, the experts must be careful in relying upon its content as it can sometimes be misleading. This is where highly skilled cyber sleuths are needed to harvest critical information from e-mail files, computer hard drives and network servers. "The field of computer forensics has grown substantially over the past few years because nearly every litigation matter requires attorneys to conduct electronic discovery," said Feldman. "It is gratifying grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. to see these software tools and forensic techniques developed by private U.S. businesses being put to use in the effort to root out terrorism networks around the world." As a pioneer in the field of computer forensics, Computer Forensics, Inc. provides services to some of the nation's most respected law firms and corporate law departments to uncover electronic evidence buried in e-mail files, desktop and laptop computers, network servers and backup tapes. The company 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 See computer forensics. .com. |
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