ROLE OF IT IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

NAME PULKIT JAIN

SECTION D
ROLL NO 23
ENROLLMENT A3906416401
NO
COURSE BBA(GENERAL)

WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE?

Forensic science is the application of sciences such as physics, chemistry,

biology, computer science and engineering to matters of law. Forensic science
can help investigators understand how blood spatter patterns occur (physics),
learn the composition and source of evidence such as drugs and trace materials
(chemistry) or determine the identity of an unknown suspect (biology).
Forensic science plays a vital role in the criminal justice system by providing
scientifically based information through the analysis of physical evidence.
During an investigation, evidence is collected at a crime scene or from a person,
analyzed in a crime laboratory and then the results presented in court. Each
crime scene is unique, and each case presents its own challenges.

The need for computer forensic expertise in law enforcement is growing as

digital crime increases exponentially. There are many law enforcement agencies
such as your local police force, The FBI as well as countless other agencies who
rely on computer forensics to catch criminals.

Computer forensics is quickly becoming used for many different areas of

criminal investigations and there is now a methodology that is used. Computers
have been widely known for being used in committing crime but now the tables
have turned and forensics has the edge using computer forensics to catch
criminals who believe they do not leave an imprint when committing certain
crimes.

INTERFACE OF TECHNOLOGY IN FORENSIC

SCIENCE

Technology can be regarded as a vital catalyst in the transition of scientific

findings and insights into innovation. Added value of science is materialized
through technology enabling society to fully benefit from new discoveries. Such
benefits are very diverse (e.g. health, economic, trade, transport,
communication, sustainability, conservation of cultural heritage, safety, security
and justice) but have in common that they raise the quality of life and provide
progress and prosperity in societies (assuming that these benefits outweigh the
potential misuse and threats that are also associated with new scientific
findings). The cycle of science, innovation and growth is the rationale behind
the very substantial and structural investment of developed countries in science
programmes. From this broad and generic perspective, it is very interesting to
take an in-depth look at the interface between technology and forensic science.
Contemporary forensic institutes operate state-of-the-art laboratories where
evidence is studied with modern instruments. Without this often high-tech and
expensive equipment, the forensic expert would not be able to generate the
forensic findings that so often are of vital importance to solve a crime and
assure high-quality rulings in a court of law [1]. Ideally, new technology is
made ‘fit-for-forensic-purpose’ in such a way that accredited and efficient use
in the forensic laboratory is enabled, evidential value is established and
criminalistic interpretation is incorporated. Contemporary forensic STR DNA
profiling is the most obvious and striking example of such a merger of scientific
discovery, technological advancements and forensic application and
interpretation.
At the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), forensic innovation efforts are
currently undertaken to create new forensic methods that can be broadly applied
in the criminal justice system and do not serve only to increase the capability of
forensic laboratories. Also outside the forensic domain, new technological
advances can be noted in recent years that allow scientific data, information and
insights to be obtained outside a controlled laboratory environment, as is
discussed in more detail in §2. In ‘connecting the forensic laboratory to the
scene’, the added value can be greatly increased especially if field methods do
not generate just indicative information but rather robust data and findings that
can directly be used as evidence in court. Within the Dutch Criminal Justice
System, a huge gain in speed, efficiency and quality is anticipated especially for
high-volume cases with limited forensic interpretation (e.g. chemical
identification of drugs of abuse or securing and classifying digital data).
However, the regular use of forensic methodologies outside the controlled
laboratory environment by untrained forensic experts requires substantial
technological efforts. Quality of the findings must be guaranteed at all times, the
equipment needs to function in a robust manner under variable and
unfavourable conditions, and it must be very easy to operate. Only through
technology can such requirements be met and efforts should be aimed at
automated forensic interpretation, reporting uncertainties and minimizing
potential errors by the operators. Wireless communication could form the basis
of creating a forensic platform for quality assurance and central analysis of the
data gathered by numerous field devices. This technological revolution in
forensic science could lead to a paradigm shift in which a new role of the
forensic expert will emerge as developer of evidence analysers and custodian of
integrated forensic platforms. Forensic expertise and interpretation would then
find its way in evidential value algorithms and quality control procedures that
form the basis of the forensic field methodology. In the criminal justice chain,
this ultimately could lead to a shared interdisciplinary forensic platform
allowing the rapid and very efficient investigation of evidence first hand by case
officers with off-site support from forensic experts.
In this contribution, as part of the Royal Society meeting on ‘The paradigm shift
for UK forensic science’, the potential of the novel approach of integrated
forensic platforms will be illustrated through current NFI innovation efforts on
mobile DNA technologies (§3a), on a platform for the criminal investigation of
large amounts of digital data (§3b) and on a platform allowing rapid and robust
chemical identification of illicit drugs in police stations and on crime scenes
(§3c).
ROLE OF IT IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

Collecting Criminal Evidence

The role of computer forensics in crime has advanced to evidentiary admission

in a court of law. This is very important in how the evidence is maintained and
collected and it has become quite a precise process in law enforcement. Demand
is high for expertise in computer forensics.

The FBI uses IT professionals to gain serious evidence in their investigations

and these crimes can be simple or hacking, espionage and even bank fraud. The
FBI now uses computer forensics as a standard tool to investigate crime. Using
devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and hard drives to collect the evidence
needed to prove premeditation in some cases.

Computer forensics is the new frontier of criminal investigation for these

agencies and it is growing daily. As technology enhances so do the crimes
associated with using technology in criminal activity.

Computer forensics is widely known for catching criminals in various types of

fraud. However, investigators are now using computer forensics to catch
murderers, and access encrypted data daily that will stand as evidence in a court
of law.

Cold Case Files Solved Using Computer Forensics

Law Enforcement agencies are also using computer forensics to reopen and
solve cold case files. This is a great advantage as technology grows so do the
ways to collect the information from old hard drives to solve crimes that have
gone unsolved for years.

The role of computer forensics in crime is increasing as databases are being

introduced to hold case files for law enforcement. The simple gathering and
organization of old forensics from unsolved cases have brought forward details
that investigators might have missed in initial investigations. These innovations
are helping to change the face of criminal investigation.
The Role of Computer Forensics in Crime

The role of computer forensics in crime is just going to increase in demand

because the need for assistance in retrieving information that can be used as
evidence is getting more difficult for law enforcement. Now more than ever this
growing field of study demands IT professionals who are experts at this type of
data retrieval for law enforcement.

The number one profession for 2015 according to Forbes Magazine is IT

professionals and this is just for general types of IT positions. IT expertise in
law enforcement is not only a critical position but also one that changes the face
of law enforcement with technique and expertise to solve cases and make a real
difference.

HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS SHAPED FORENSIC

SCIENCE

While there is no doubt that modern advances in technology have led to

numerous crimes being solved that would have been dismissed as a cold case
decades ago, there hasn’t always been the technological advances in the field.
The early days of forensic science must have been quite frustrating for
detectives with a lack of options, outside of their own skills of inquiry and a
trusty magnifying glass. Modern marvels such as DNA analysis or image
enhancement technologies, have made forensic science easier in one respect.
However, the methods of criminals have changed with advancement of
technology as well. Forensic scientists not only solve for murders and other
violent crimes, but for chemical attacks, cyber crimes, and any other acts of
violence that come with the modern territory.

How exactly has forensic science changed over time? Here is a run down of
some of the advances made in forensic technology along with other important
milestones in forensics history that date all the way back from the 1200’s to
today, with a variety of forensic applications. By the time you complete your
forensics degree, there will be even more technology at your disposal.
MODERN BREAKTHROUGHS

Here are a few modern breakthroughs in forensic technology and analysis,

applicable in a variety of fields within forensics.

o LABRADOR. The cleverly named LABRADOR (Light-weight Analyzer

for Buried Remains and Decomposition Odor Recognition) is a device
used to “sniff” out various chemicals that are released by decaying
bodies. Highly useful with missing persons reports.
o Chemical Forensics. Similarly, a chemist at the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory is devising a forensic technique that can detect the
source of impurities within chemicals, that could lead to finding criminals
in a terrorist attack.
o Blood Spatter Improvements. Physicists at Washington State University
have recently developed a mathematical way to analyze blood spatter and
plotting how blood droplets will fall from a ceiling or wall.
o Forensic Ballistics. Numerous advancements in ballistics
technology have been made using 3D imaging. Analysis of these
projections can help determine where a weapon was fired based on shells
and cartridges.
o Cyber Hacking. With recent events such as the Sony hacks and the
attacks at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, digital forensic experts are using the
latest in computer technology to track down the perpetrators of these
crimes.
o Alternative Light in Forensic Nursing. Forensic nursing is a very specific
concentration of forensics. Use of alternative light photography can help
nurses care for patients while maintaining the integrity of evidence as
well.

While new technologies may not yet be fool-proof, DNA analysis is still
considered the primary route of forensic analysis. The newest of these
technologies is called Snapshot, which takes DNA info and translates it into
possible physical traits of suspected criminals. To read more about these
advances, here is an academic paper from North Carolina Central University
exploring the vast detail to which DNA analysis has advanced. Updates
continue in the field every day, making forensic science both an important and
exciting career.