Forensic

Infosecurity Forensic employees, work with digital forensics in cybersecurity and they are on the front lines in the fight against cybercrime. They collect, process, preserve and analyze computer-related evidence.

 

Infosecurity Forensic helps identify network vulnerabilities and then develop ways to mitigate them. We go deep inside networks, computers, and smartphones in search of evidence of criminal activity, and run counterintelligence against hackers, criminals, and others with nefarious intentions. We use scientific investigatory techniques to do it.

What is Forensics?

The term forensic science involves forensic (or forensis, in Latin), which means a public discussion or debate. In a more modern context, however, forensic applies to courts or the judicial system. Combine that with science, and forensic science means applying scientific methods and processes to solving crimes.

From the 16th century, when medical practitioners began using forensic science to writings in the late 18th century that revealed the first evidence of modern pathology, to the formation of the first school of forensic science in 1909; the development of forensic science has been used to uncover mysteries, solve crimes, and convict or exonerate suspects of crime for hundreds of years.

The extraordinary scientific innovations and advancements in forensic science have allowed it to become a highly developed science that involves a number of disciplines and thousands of forensic scientists specializing in everything from DNA and botany to dentistry and toolmarks.

Forensic Science History

Forensic Science is the application of science or rather the method of gathering and examining information pertaining to a particular situation. It is a science which is used for the purpose of the law( example checking the relevance of facts etc), and therefore it is supposed to provide an impartial and also an unbiased scientific view, which can later be used and also enforced as relevant evidence in a court of law
Although forensic science can be used for both, civil and criminal cases, it is the criminal cases where usually forensics come into play for example, DNA evidence is used in various criminal cases to identify as to who all were present at scene of crime.
In early Roman times, a criminal charge meant that the case had to be presented before a group of public individuals (known as a jury in today’s time) in the forum. Both, the victim and the accused would have to explain their side of the story. The individual who would be able to give a convincing argument and delivery would determine the result of the case. This origin is basically the source of the two modern usages of the word forensic, firstly as a form of legal evidence and secondly as a category of publicThis section has nowhere stated that the medical practitioner shall be entitled to personally collect semen, blood, hair root, urine, vaginal swab, etc for the purpose of investigation. By the amendment Act of 2005 the CrPC which has amended and then also added S. 53A which states that a person accused of rape should be examined by a medical practitioner. Also the amendment act of 2005 the amended explanation now includes within its ambit, the examination of blood, blood stains, semen, sputum, swabs, sweat, hair samples and finger nails by the use of the various modern techniques regarding cases of sexual offences also including DNA profiling and such other tests which is necessary in a particular case.
The case, the murder of Leanne Trieane is considered as a landmark case in the field of forensic science as that case was built and won entirely on the basis of forensic evidence found near the body and also at the victim’s house. Also the famous case of the night stalker was solved and the accused was identified all on the basis of one fingerprint.

The Application of Forensic Science

The field of forensic science draws from a number of scientific branches, including physics, chemistry, and biology, with its focus being on the recognition, identification, and evaluation of physical evidence. It has become an essential part of the judicial system, as it utilizes a broad spectrum of sciences to achieve information relevant to criminal and legal evidence.

Forensic science may prove the existence of a crime, the perpetrator of a crime, or a connection to a crime through the:

  • Examination of physical evidence
  • Administration of tests
  • Interpretation of data
  • Clear and concise reporting
  • Truthful testimony of a forensic scientist

Forensic science has become an integral part of many criminal cases and convictions, with objective facts through scientific knowledge serving both defense and prosecution arguments. The testimony of forensic scientists has become a trusted component of many civil and criminal cases, as these professionals are concerned not with the outcome of the case; only with their objective testimony based purely on scientific facts.

Forensic scientists perform both physical and chemical analyses on physical evidence obtained by crime scene investigators and law enforcement officials at the crime scene. These scientific experts use microscopic examining techniques, complex instruments, mathematical principles, scientific principles, and reference literature to analyze evidence as to identify both class and individual characteristics.

Although the majority of forensic scientists perform their jobs within the confines of the forensic laboratory or morgue, their work may also take them outside of the laboratory and to the crime scene, where they observe the scene and collect evidence. Forensic scientists may work for local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and government, private laboratories, and hospitals. They may also serve as independent forensic science consultants.

The Organization of Forensic Science

Due to the highly complex field of forensic science, forensic scientists are most often skilled in a particular area of forensic science, such as latent prints, questioned documents, trace evidence, or firearms, just to name a few.

Forensic scientists may be divided into three, major groups:
Forensic Pathologists:

These include medical examiners and other professionals who oversee autopsies and clinical forensic examinations.

Forensic Scientists:

These include forensic professionals working in law enforcement, government, or private forensic laboratories who are responsible for dealing with any number of specific tests and analyses, such as toxicology, ballistics, trace evidence, etc.

Associated Scientists:

These include scientific professionals lending their knowledge to forensic science, such as forensic odontologists, forensic botanists, forensic anthropologists, etc. These scientists apply their knowledge to the forensic science field as to provide investigators with crucial information regarding everything from bite marks to insect infestation on the postmortem body.

Forensic science often includes even more specialized fields, such as forensic accounting, forensic engineering, and forensic psychiatry, among others.
Forensic science is therefore further organized into the following fields:

 

  1. Trace Evidence Analysis
  2. Forensic Toxicology
  3. Forensic Psychology
  4. Forensic Podiatry
  5. Forensic Pathology
  6. Forensic Optometry
  7. Forensic Odontology
  8. Forensic Linguistics
  9. Forensic Geology
  10. Forensic Entomology
  11. Forensic Engineering
  12. Forensic DNA Analysis
  13. Forensic Botany
  14. Forensic Archeology
  15. Forensic Anthropology
  16. Digital Forensics
  17. Criminalistics

The Study of Forensic Science

Although forensic science may be a very complex study, particularly in the areas of DNA and trace evidence, for example, the study of forensic science is grounded in fundamental concepts and techniques that are gathered from the natural sciences. In particular, the study of forensic science involves a multi-disciplinary approach that covers everything from biological methods to analytical chemistry techniques.

The majority of forensic scientists study a specific physical science, such as chemistry or biology, while others pursue forensic science degrees that are rooted in either chemistry or biology.

A comprehensive degree from a college or university draws from the biological sciences, as well as from the fields of criminal justice and the law. Students learn to develop an appreciation of both the scientific and social environment of the criminal justice system, and many students go on to focus their degrees on specific areas of forensic science, such as DNA, trace evidence, toxicology, latent prints, or questioned documents, for example.

The Importance Of Forensic Science

Forensic science is the application of many other sciences including physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and engineering to matters of law and order. Forensics science is used by investigators to help understand what happened a crime scene. Every single part of the crime scene is analyzed to find the smallest bits of evidence. Forensic science can help investigators to understand how blood spatter patterns occur, find out who was at the crime scene, when the crime occurred, and who committed the crime. Forensic science is a very important part of the justice system, because it provides scientific facts based on hard evidence. In a typical crime scene investigation, material evidence will be gathered by the investigators. Then the forensic scientists will analyze this evidence to provide a scientific based evidence to be presented in court. Each type of material evidence must be collected in a different fashion to ensure that the evidence remains as intact and un-contaminated as possible. for example: Blood that is in liquid pools should be collected on gauze pads or sterile cotton and allowed to air dry. Then it should be refrigerated. At he standard crime scene, photographs will be taken of everything before collection. Larger pieces of evidence will be removed first, such as a computer, or clothing. The ground should be vacuumed any find trace evidence. There are a number different classification for evidence in forensic science.

Forensic Team Analysis

It is well known that Forensic team need to identify victims and analyze evidences to prove the crimes. However, analyzing evidence from crime scenes and identifying victims are goals of Forensic Science teams. Therefore, as a member of a Forensic Science team, the anthropologist play an important role in the team because of the technological skills of rebuilding faces or determining fingerprints to help the team in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). As a result , the anthropologist is one of the most important member of Forensic Science team. As for the techniques, anthropologist can use some tradition ways to Identify the unknown victims in a Forensics team such as rebuilding the faces by using the skull of the victims.

Important of Evidence in Crime Investigation

The investigating officer can start searching for evidences in any manner he feels suit the crime scene. Importance Of Searching These are some of the basic methods used globally by the forensic experts and the investigating officers to search for evidences at crime scenes. The search for evidences is of extreme importance when it comes to solving a case because they provide as major support to the case.

Forensic Science Myths

If you ever watched TV crime fighting shows like CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, and Bones, you see that these shows put forensic science on a high pedestal when the truth is these TV shows misrepresent the forensics profession in some major ways. Here are some myths that are spread to the public and what everybody believes forensic science is. One myth is that these forensic scientists are making tones of money. The truth is they are not compensated nearly as well as you’d think they’d be The national average for a medical examiner is around $45,000. While forensic engineers end to be paid a little more, about 79,000 a year in some states. Southern states tend to pay a little less, and salaries get higher as you move west and north. In the TV shows.
At her trail, detective Dennis Chapmen testified that finger prints on a pill bottle found at the crime scene after a level one basic comparison matched her prints. The detective did this despite lacking any training in conducting latent print comparisons. Regardless, he testified anyway. This was the only evidence against Canen and she was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison. After the conviction an attorney who believed that Canen was innocent took on the case. Cara Wieneke, who was the attorney that took on her case, hired an independent expert to conduct an analysis of the fingerprint. This expert told Wieneke that based on her analysis Canen was excluded. But according to Wieneke the prosecutor refused a request to have the state crime lab re-analyze the print. Canen was then granted an evidentiary hearing and her expert prepared a report on her findings. That report was turned over to the prosecutor and reviewed by Detective Chapman. After this Detective realized his error and reported it to his supervisor who in turn ordered an internal investigation. At the evidentiary hearing, Detective Chapman admitted that he made a misidentification. He testified that his current opinion is based on additional training that he received since Canen’s trial. Detective Chapman also admitted that he overstated his experience to jurors at the criminal justice system has many flaws that ultimately fall short of the foundational American principles. However, both followers of Christ and none followers we should respond to the problems with the American justice system by speaking out and letting the people of America know about the flaws of the system so that less false convictions take place. One can imagine that if the juries knew about the faulty forensic science defendants can be more assured in their life’s are in more capable and understanding hands. Jurors must understand that they must have certainty, certainty beyond reasonable doubt, because if they are wrong a person’s life may be at stake.

Forensic Science Career Paper

Forensic Scientists are scientist who gather evidence to test and solve a criminal case. You must meet a minimum of 6 requirements to even consider the field; one must be a U.S. citizen, hold a valid driver ‘s license, be at least 19 (21 in some cases), have no prior convictions or arrests for felonies, domestic violence or serious misdemeanors, have a high school diploma or GED, have a minimum of two years public-contact work experience, prior law enforcement service or military service. This does not include the mental and physical stability you must have. Forensic science is not something anyone and everyone is cut out for but it is something worth going into if that is your interest. It’s a career path that is forever evolving and changing the course of history. The job has multiple responsibilities, requirements, and financial duties, such as taking care of evidence, analyzing things correctly, having the proper training, and learning where your position and salary meet.
Forensic science is any science that has to do with the field of law. “However, your duties could vary depending on your specialism, and may include some or all of the following: blood grouping and DNA profiling analysing fluid and tissue samples for traces of drugs and poisons identifying, comparing and matching various materials examining splash patterns and the distribution of particles analysing handwriting, signatures, ink and paper providing expert advice on explosives, firearms and ballistics researching and developing new technologies recovering data from computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment attending crime scenes, such as a murder or fire giving impartial scientific evidence in court supervising assistant forensic scientists in the laboratory” (Forensic Scientist Job Information | National Careers).