According to a recent survey, more than half of all businesses have been victims of economic crime lately. Fraud and more specifically so-called "sophisticated fraud" continues to be a major threat to the economy of the World. Furthermore, the nature of such crimes is continuously becoming more complexed. With increasing levels of online business activity and a greater dependency on Information Technology, the business world now must brace itself to deal with increasingly sophisticated kinds of fraud, industrial espionage, identity theft an all sorts of illegal digital intrusion and tampering.
The explosion in the use of the internet, and more sophisticated every-day electronic items such as mobile phones with memory cards and iPods, has added a new dimension to the nature of corporate fraud, identity theft and a variety of cybercrimes. With more than 90% of all business records now being created and stored electronically and most financial transactions being conducted via the internet, updated and continuous digital risk management becomes vitally important for users of electronic devices and technology.
Digital forensics investigations have a variety of applications. The most common is to support or refute a hypothesis in a Criminal or Civil (as part of the electronic discovery process) Court. Digital Forensics may also feature in the private sector; such as during internal corporate investigations or intrusion investigations (for example, a specialist probe into the nature and extent of an unauthorized network intrusion).
The approach to our digital investigations are divided into several sub-branches, relating to the type of digital devices involved; computer forensics, network forensics, forensic data analysis and mobile device forensics. The typical forensic process includes the seizure, forensic imaging (acquisition) and analysis of digital data and the production of a report explaining and substantiating collected evidence. To identify and collate direct evidence of a crime, digital forensics can subsequently be used to attribute evidence to specific suspects, confirm alibis or statements, determine intent, identify sources (for example, in copyright cases), or authenticate documents. Investigations are much broader in scope than other areas of forensic analysis (where the usual aim is to provide answers to a series of simpler questions) often involving complex time-lines or assumptions.
Our forensic investigators with the support of our independent digital forensic specialists are experienced and equipped to provide the following highly specialised services in this regard to our clients;
- Detection and investigation of any type of cybercrime or digital intrusion and or tampering. Our unique digital forensic expertise, tools and techniques distinguish us from our competitors in the relevant highly specialised field.
- Conducting of proactive rather than reactive health and risk checks on IT technology, systems and policy.
- Assisting clients to make fraud security a 'business as usual' process by training and sensitising staff to develop, implement and manage a clear, IT security policy.
- Assisting clients to use IT risk assessment strategies to ensure their investment is targeted towards those security controls that offer the greatest business benefit.
- Assisting clients to ensure they and their staff understand their legal rights and responsibilities in relation to digital fraud and aim to implement internationally-recognised standards of best practice to curb the scourge.
- Assisting clients to develop and implement contingency plans to ensure that, should a digital security breach/incident occur, the business would be in a position to respond swiftly and efficiently to minimise potential losses and/or to limit disruption to the business.
- Assisting clients to ensure that their security defences are integrated and adequately up to date to respond to the ever-changing and increasingly sophisticated technologies being utilised by cybercriminals.