MIT’s Technology Review noted in January 2018 that an American adult spends about one full day — 24 hours — online every week. Plus, with tech giants like Google and Facebook tracking what we do during that time, most of us are leaving a trail of our online activity.

Whatever your feelings about this information gathering, it can be useful if you need to gather evidence of another person’s misbehavior. Learn below how a private investigator’s computer forensics skills can help you utilize that data.

1. You’re in a Dissolving Personal Relationship

Private investigators are known as a helpful resource for adults looking for evidence to justify a divorce. But their skills can be useful in many potentially complicated personal relationships, such as siblings disputing custody of a niece or nephew or a boyfriend or girlfriend suspecting their partner of lying or cheating.

In today’s information age, private investigators don’t just have to use their skills to follow someone in person and see who they interact with. They can also investigate the person’s online actions and interactions.

Exactly what a computer forensics expert can examine depends on what electronic devices and files they legally have access to. Ultimately, they may investigate:

• IP addresses
• Cell tower pings
• GPS data
• Emails
• Text messages
• Social media posts
• Internet browser history
• Financial transactions

Many of these records show patterns of behavior that can strengthen your case against a person. They can also contain important time stamps about where a person was or what they were doing at key moments.

2. You’re Facing Criminal Charges

Thanks to the popularity of TV shows about forensics investigators, many people know that digital evidence can be used against defendants in criminal cases. What you may not know, though, is that the same sources of evidence can also be used to verify a defendant’s alibi, provide counterevidence to a victim’s story, or discredit information provided by the prosecution.

Your defense attorney may recommend a forensic analysis before your case goes to court for several reasons:

1. To determine the strength and accuracy of evidence the prosecution has against you
2. To compare your story to the computer data trail in order to craft your strongest possible defense
3. To create admissible evidence of your online character and patterns of behavior

Once your lawyer has examined the computer forensics report on your case, they will share the vital findings with you and recommend what you should do next.

3. You Need to Back Up Your Decisions as an Employer

Most employers supply their employees with computers, cell phones, or other electronics to be used for work. Employees typically must agree to a set of rules for using these electronics, which may include not making personal purchases, limiting time on social media, and avoiding visits to pornographic websites. Any violation of these rules could subject the employee to termination.

If you terminate an employee, the electronics they used while working for you may contain evidence of wrongdoing — even if the employee tried to delete their internet browser history or important files before they were fired. A computer forensics specialist can search through the computer or cell phone to uncover hidden files that help you to justify your decision to terminate the employee.

Plus, a computer forensics search is done in such a way that the evidence discovered is ready to be presented in legal scenarios, such as a deposition or a court case. Should the employee bring legal action against you, you’ll be ready to back up your actions and prevent monetary or reputation losses to your company.

Are you curious about whether a computer forensics investigation could help you? Contact J.P. Investigative Group, Inc., to ask about our private investigative services.