computer forensics Archives - All in Investigations

Do I Need to Hire a Private Investigator?

Life Happens…sometimes we oversee our path and other times we are influenced by choices made by others. When situations arise out of our control and cannot be handled from within, we reach out for help. can be that source to help with life-changing matters. 10 Reasons You May NOT Need to Hire a Private Investigator You are not Married or involved in a relationship You are not being harassed or stalked You have not engaged in a workplace relationship You do not own a cell phone, computer or drive a car You are not adopted and if you are you do not care to know your biological parents You do not have any children, or you have not put a child up for adoption You [...]

Ostriches Don’t Get a Fair Deal in a Divorce

For those of us who have been divorced, we understand the process and procedures. We know that we either represent ourselves (which could create problems during and after the divorce) or we retain the services of a reputable law firm (which prevents the pro-se issues). We enter into a marriage full of hope and dreams and unfortunately, we are only in control of half of that relationship. We enter into a divorce with the expectation to right the wrongs and in many cases, there are activities that need to be investigated. The he/said she/said of the relationship holds little weight in court. Documented behavior and actions are required. Not all divorces are complicated, but in relationships that end due to deceit, hiring an investigative company [...]

He Was Convinced He Could Beat the Polygraph

When Craig fell under suspicion of revealing sensitive company proprietary information to an arch competitor of his employer, he was confronted by the corporate security investigator, who had already contacted us at . In an interrogation setting, his first rebuttal was to state that he had nothing to do with it and he would submit to a polygraph examination to prove his innocence. Craig had been previously requested to be polygraphed by a police examiner, who would examine him for pre-employment necessary to obtain a civilian position with the police department. Prior to the examination, he had googled “how to beat a polygraph test” and followed the directions on how to beat questions pertaining to questions prior drug use, drug dealing, cheating on college tests, the sale of [...]

A Good Attorney Never Asks a Questions without Already knowing the Answer

They depend on us, experienced private investigators, for the answers. We are seekers of the truth, and that’s what the Judges and Juries want to know in order to make informed decisions. Attorneys are only as good as the information they have to work with. Sometimes their clients and the witnesses involved, have trouble providing exact accounts of pertinent circumstances involving the incident at hand. Our databases and information sources are usually more sophisticated than the ones available to most law firm’s investigators and paralegals. In most cases, the information is obtained quickly. Our investigators are equipped with high-tech video and audio recording equipment that can memorialize statements and activities for evidence. We have specialists on staff that are experts in the field of computer [...]

They Thought They Permanently Deleted Files From Their Computer

Before writing this blog, I did some research on what computer users perceive when they delete a file from their computer. Instructions on how to delete. When you delete a file, it's usually moved to the Recycle Bin so that you can restore the file later if necessary. For information about recovering a file, see Recover files from the Recycle Bin. To permanently remove files from your computer and reclaim any hard disk space they were using, you need to delete the files from the Recycle Bin. You can delete individual files from the Recycle Bin or empty the entire Recycle Bin at once. Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking the Recycle Binon the desktop. Do one of the following: To permanently delete one file, click it, [...]

Discovery, Depositions and Findings

We had a Client, James who started and built a booming business with his longtime friend, Bill. Bill was outgoing, charismatic while James was more laid back and book smart, while both had the desire and knowledge to start a company. For years, growing up, through high school and college, they knew they wanted to work for themselves, didn’t want to report to a boss, wanted to have choices and full control over their own destiny and livelihood. After graduating with degrees in two different fields, they merged their knowledge and started a much needed consulting business in their hometown, just 30 minutes outside of Indianapolis. Twenty years later, they had talked about selling the business someday to spend more time with their families and [...]

Computer Forensics – A Powerful Tool in Investigations

Long before there were computers, internet connection and mobile phones, words were written by hand, pen/pencil and paper. If you made a mistake you would wad up the paper, throw it in the trash and start all over again, or use your trusty eraser and change the wording. Or you could use your “typewriter” and type a letter, same applied, if you made a mistake you would rip the paper out, roll in a new sheet and start all over. And if you had to research anything, you headed off to the library and conducted manual searches. If you didn’t check out a book, no one knew that you even opened up a book or copied the information. What you did on pen and paper [...]

Correct approach to Computer Forensics

More than a few clients have walked through the doors of requesting their cell phone or laptop be analyzed by our digital forensics lab. Quite commonly the client is dealing with marital infidelity and highly suspects their spouse of a secret affair. The first questions we tend to ask in these cases pertain to the ownership of the device in question and inform the client that computer forensic firms in the US are legally obligated to obtain permission from the owner of the device and to follow a legal process for cell records in digital forensics. The same holds true for mobile phone forensics and during a cell phone investigation. A reputable forensic investigator should always gain written permission of the device owner prior to [...]

Investigation Protects Employees and Prevents a Major Bad Decision in a Small Business

One thing we know here at , is that when getting to the truth is a matter of importance, you have to call in professionals – and the sooner the better. Dina’s attorney wasted no time in referring the solopreneur to a professional investigator. In the initial meeting she explained the situation: She had been a solopreneur in her accounting firm for almost five years. Her firm was growing and she started to entertain the idea of adding a partner. When Brett walked through the door looking for a job, it was like he was tailor-made to fit right in with the firm and clientele she had targeted. He was smart, technically proficient, and charming. She hired him on the spot during his first interview. [...]

Disruptive Computer Hacking on the Rise

Everyone knows that businesses face risks from cyber threats. However, what isn’t realized is that the risk isn’t just a problem for BIG business, it’s a problem for EVERY business. As leaders in computer forensic investigation and experience as spyware detectors and spyware removers, the computer forensics experts at can tell you that the Allianz Risk Barometer 2015 is accurate in reporting that disruptive scenarios are increasing in number. The point they want to make is that risk management must reflect this new reality and we agree. Attacks made on servers and systems to infiltrate and steal information and data are still a prime concern, but that is not the only scenario that computer forensics companies are being called in to address. No, there are [...]