In the age of CSI, many civil litigators are aware that the secrets to unlocking a case may be buried deep within a party’s computer, in the form of a deleted file, an incriminating Google search, or tell-tale cookie. But while litigators may be generally aware of the power of computer forensics, they do not always understand how forensic analysis works or when it is appropriate in civil litigation. This article will explain where deleted files and other important types of evidence can be located on a hard drive or mobile device, how forensic analysts actually track down hidden or deleted evidence, and the legal standard for conducting forensic examinations in civil cases.
What is Computer Forensics?
Computer forensics is a branch of computer science that focuses on the retrieval and analysis of data from hard drives and other media that are generally inaccessible to the layperson. One of the most common forensic techniques is “file-carving,” which focuses on the identification and recovery of deleted files from a hard drive.
