It will be critical as the forensics investigator to understand that any notes you take or any findings you write down as part of an examination for a report are subject to discovery by the attorney who opposes your case. In a preliminary forensics report, you would provide the same information as in a formally delivered forensics report. If you were asked in a legal meeting preparing for an actual court case, what would you say to your counsel regarding what you will place in the preliminary report?
Describe in the report how you would summarize what has been accomplished in an actual identity theft investigation involving members of a criminal enterprise operation. Identify the types of systems you have examined, the tools you have used, and what you have discovered with these tools. State the evidence preservation processes you have used. Identify the tentative conclusion you have developed (rather than the preliminary conclusion). Identify any areas you feel you may need to expand on in the investigation, after gaining confirmation that this will be allowed, so that you can reach your final conclusions.
In a Word document of 3–5 pages, provide a synopsis of your preliminary findings that will go into the forensics report as you would state in this meeting, including the following:
- Explain that in the report, you would summarize what has been accomplished in the investigation.
- Identify the types of systems you have examined, the tools you have used, and what you have discovered with these tools.
- State the evidence preservation processes you have used.
- Identify the tentative conclusion you have reached.
- Identify any areas you feel you may need to expand on in the identity theft investigation, after gaining confirmation that this will be allowed, so that you can reach your final conclusions.
Any references used for development of the main body of the paper should be in APA format. All technical assertions in the main body of the paper should have supporting citations and references in APA format.
