What’s a Comp Crime Investigator?

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A computer crime investigator, or cybercrime investigator, is an individual who works to solve crimes that occur on the Internet or other multi-user computer network, such as a business or school computer system. There are many different forms of computer crime, ranging from cyber warfare and cyber terrorism to offensive content or spam emails. In most cases, a computer crime investigator is responsible for identifying computer crime cases; identify the computer, server or network from which the criminal activity originated; and identify the individual responsible for the crime. An investigator must also keep track of the laws and regulations that govern various forms of computer and Internet use. He is also usually required to keep up with changes in technology as new technological advancements often introduce new ways for individuals to commit crimes.

Many computer crime investigators work for law enforcement agencies and are tasked with finding and investigating computer crimes. A computer crime investigator, however, can also work privately and accept jobs for clients who have been victims of computer crime. A computer crime private investigator generally does not need to look for computer crimes and is instead concerned with investigating specific crimes against clients. An individual or company may also turn to a private investigator rather than an agency to avoid dealing with the bureaucratic concerns that often characterize large government-controlled agencies.

The particular manner in which a computer crime investigator investigates a crime can vary substantially based on the nature of the crime. Encountering a predator online, for example, might involve impersonating a child in an online chat room. Identifying an employee who has committed fraud, on the other hand, may involve a detailed exploration of the computer usage histories of a variety of individuals, as well as an examination of financial statements and other records. Some crimes, such as denial of service attacks, can be highly difficult to examine because many different people and different computers in different locations are often involved.

In many cases, it can be difficult for a computer crime investigator to collect sufficient evidence in computer crime cases. A user might, for example, commit their crimes on a public computer or go to great lengths to hide their identity and geographic location. Furthermore, much of the evidence in these cases must be collected online or on computer systems. Lack of physical evidence can make it difficult to conclusively identify a cybercriminal. In many cases, however, a computer crime investigator associated with a government agency may, upon gathering sufficient evidence, obtain a warrant to collect and examine an individual’s computer or hard drive for physical evidence of activities or criminal materials.

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