Digital Evidence and Computer Crime

In 2004, when I wrote the previous edition of this book, I described technology as a window into our lives and the lives of criminals. In this metaphor was a separation between the virtual and physical world. Now this separation is gone. Technology is integrated inseparably into our lives, present and active wherever we are. In a sense, cyberspace turns itself inside out when the technology is aware of our physical location in the world, providing location-dependent services to the user and conversely enabling digital investigators to determine where an individual of interest was during the time of a crime. In Spook Country, William Gibson describes various facets of this eversion of cyberspace. The locative properties of modern technology provide a prime example of this eversion. For instance, while I am having an Aussie at Brewer’s Art in Baltimore, my smart phone is chattering with various systems to orient itself and provide me with information about my immediate surroundings. Opening the map function not only shows my location but also points out places of interest in the area such as Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Meyerhoff Symphony Hall), Lyric Opera House, and Penn Station (Figure 1).