The use of technology has become so widespread throughout the world that a person is now capable of collecting criminal evidence on computers and other such digital devices. This digital forensics, as it is called, is gathered and analyzed just like any other evidence at a crime scene. Military, law enforcement, security departments, and insurance agencies all use digital forensics. This use of technology has become so popular that according to Dell "many crimes today have a digital component." Dell has created a software called The Dell Digital Forensics Solution that allows the storage of information, simplifies sharing across teams of analysts, and can offer a secure remote analysis of the information. The website explains more of what this software allows it users to do.
http://content.dell.com/us/en/slgov/slg-solutions-digital-forensics.aspx?ST=digital%20forensics&dgc=ST&cid=69093&lid=1744641&acd=s7F2U0irE,7688636362,901rb36697
The Digital Forensics Association has complied a list of 3,675 data breaches from 2005 to 2010 and includes over 806.2 million known records disclosed. This list of documents and records prove just how sensitive information online can be. All it takes is someone with the smallest knowledge of how to obtain information and chaos could erupt.
http://www.digitalforensicsassociation.org/storage/The_Leaking_Vault_2011-Six_Years_of_Data_Breaches.pdf
Along with the other two organizations MIT has held seminars on digital forensics and have discussed how it is becoming harder and harder to detect fake digital images. There are application that people can get a hold of that allow unlimited access to forgery of documents, images, and the likes. The discussion centered around trying to find mathematical ways to analyze photographs,
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/knight-faked-photos-event.html. With the ever increasing updates to technology it will become harder and harder to find ways to sort the actual facts from the impressionable fakes. Digital forensics has become a requirement in today's world. Crimes have been solved, terrorists' plots have been thwarted and lives have been saved because of it. Without this technology the ability to keep people safe would decrease tremendously.
