Should You Call On A Computer Forensics Consultant?
Let’s say that you feel you need to call on a computer forensics team.  What should you do?  How do you react to the item that is in question?  Additionally, anyone that has something that needs to be further investigated should realize what they should and should not do to the unit to insure that it is safeguarded from potential problems.  No matter who you are or what you are doing with the item, there are security steps in place to help in preserving the information that may potentially be stored on the unit.  If the wrong thing is done to the unit, including just turning it on or off, there could be a lot of potential damage to the information that is stored on it.  Therefore, here are some pieces of information to consider if and when the need arises.

• The physical structure of the computer or the unit should never be touched.  Just like any other piece of evidence, there are potential footprints on the unit itself.  Should someone touch it, it is likely that they could be linked with the evidence on the unit.

• No one should attempt to use the computer or the phone lines that may be linked to the unit.  These things should not be touched.

• If the unit is in the on position, it is important to leave it alone.  Turning it off could lead to potential information that is lost.  In addition, a picture of the screen should be taken to insure that when the unit is turned off for transport that it is fully preserved in the method it was found.

• The electrical outlet should not be pulled if the unit is running.  This could seriously damage the potential information on the computer.

• Computers that are networked should not be pulled apart until an expert can take a look at it.  This too can cause a great deal of damage to the information stored on the unit.

When these things are done properly, the computer forensic teams can thoroughly do their jobs, without risking the data that has been on the computer.  Although these things seem simple and common to do, they can be devastating in an investigation.