Computer forensics is still in its infancy. Many people who actually need evidence unearthed from computers approach data recovery specialists, for they are still not aware of computer forensics and the significance of its role.
Data recovery specialists, specialise in recovering data from damaged computers. However, gathering evidential information from the computers to prove illegal cases necessitates a different approach to the process of data recovery. Only computer forensic experts can handle it.
There are a number of companies specialising in computer forensics. Of these, a few have earned the reputation of being the best in the industry. The identifying features of these global leaders are that:
- The experts have innovated specialised techniques over the years.
- Their methods ensure a safe recovery of the complete data without damaging the original.
- Computer viruses do not gain entry to the system
- Strict confidentiality measures are ensured, for, often, the recovered information is sensitive data.
- These companies also provide their client with technical information needed to understand the case.
A fact worth remembering here is that good computer forensic companies specialise in their particular field. If a company is offering a wide array of services, it is understood that they collect the orders and pass them on to bigger companies.
Unfortunately, many people are forced to approach the companies playing the role of middlemen. For, the computer forensics companies concentrate on the European and American markets. The large computer using population in the Asia Pacific region is virtually untouched. If computer forensic companies are also established in these regions, the role of middlemen can be virtually eliminated. Catering to this region is an untapped market in the field of computer forensics.
The few large Euro-American computer forensic companies are carving out greater chunks of the market by a process of mergers and acquisitions. Just a few years back, a global leader in data recovery (Ibas) headquartered in Norway, with subsidiaries, agents and branches in other countries of Asia, Europe and America had acquired another company (Vogon International.) The integration of the two companies that began from
The estimated value of the global market for computer forensics is around $ 600 million. Computer forensics is currently used to track down fraudulent insurance claims, missing children or people, employee misuse of company data, child pornography, etc.
The big market is fast expanding as more organisations are discovering the potential of computer forensics in investigating crime and its prevention. And, the future worth of this market is expected to be quite high with the rapid increase in customer base, as military intelligence, insurance companies, police departments, private investigators, etc are increasingly soliciting the services of the computer forensic agencies. The advent of cyber crime and terrorism has forged the demand for the expertise of these companies.
Computer forensic analysts are also called to justify their findings. To withstand the pressure of legal scrutiny they should be careful:
- Not to change the time and date of the files,
- The content of data and
- They should maintain a record of the steps taken while recovering data.
The interesting field of computer forensics is attracting many people. People who are interested in setting up a data recovery and computer forensic business should:
- Be able to innovate plenty of software recovery tools as newer versions of hard disks are being introduced quite frequently
- Plenty of data recovery tools must be utilised to unearth evidence to legally prove the cases. It is hard to justify the usage of a single tool in recovering vital decisive evidence.
- The recruited manpower should be sufficient enough to allot a few experts to each individual case. And, they are all expected to work under a no-disclosure agreement.
Though the field of computer forensics is new, the subject is quite interesting. The market in this field is rapidly expanding with many governmental and private agencies utilising their services. Entrepreneurs interested in starting forensic investigation companies should first study the market and carve out a niche for themselves.