Ethics in Computer Forensics Investigation

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Ethics in Computer Forensics Investigation Ethical & Legal Issues in the Professions By: Pete Gonzalez Professor: Steven Osburn DeVry University 06/19/11 Computer Forensics Investigation has become a new widely increasing field of forensics investigation. As with any investigative field there comes a time when ethical issues and principles will arise. We can take a look at some of the ethical issues associated with computer forensics investigation. Computer forensics is a tool of collecting, analyzing, preserving, and presenting digital evidences collected from a computer in a legally acceptable manner. The process of computer forensics is thus quite complex and involves various activities. The up most care must be taken that the evidence is not altered or tampered with in anyway. The role of any investigator is therefore crucial and any mistake on their part may put the whole investigation in jeopardy. To counter this problem the forensic investigator or investigators must follow the basic guidelines and rules suggested by the ACPO (Association of Police Officers) and the NIST (National Institute of Technology). Next in computer forensics investigation is the importance of preservation of evidence is also an important task. Any tampering and manhandling of the evidence need be prevented. Collection of the evidence and even duplicating the digital evidence is also an important part of ethical conduct. As a computer forensics investigator there are some ethical values such as integrity, accuracy and authenticity should be exercised in an ethical environment. The evidence that is produced before any court should be fairly examined and analyzed. There should be any carelessness and ignorance regarding the handling of evidence. The case evidence should be examined in detail based upon validated principles. The evidence that
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