With the fast developments in information technology, digital evidence derived from computers is becoming more frequently used in courtroom trials. The growing field of computer forensics has its foundation in the fields of information technology security and forensic science.

It deals with the acquisition of information from computers that may serve as evidence to aid in the prosecution of cyber criminals or in intelligence assignments of federal agencies. In recent years, computer forensics has also been increasingly used in private investigations conducted by corporations and individuals in a range of cases such as wrongful employee termination, intellectual property violations, harassment, discrimination and divorces.

In a computer forensics analysis, technical specialists use certain tools to locate, retrieve and protect computer documents that may be relevant to a case. Using computer forensics tools, a specialist can also reveal account passwords and encrypted files as well as recover data that has been erased or even damaged.

The tools that computer forensics specialists use fall under two general categories – first, there are tools that are used to collect computer data and make a copy of it and to preserve the data to prevent it from being modified whether intentionally or accidentally and second, there are tools used to analyze computer data, which have the discovery and retrieval functionalities.

Some specific tasks that can be performed by computer forensics tools include locating a large number of files that have been modified recently, searching drives, raw directory, file clusters and sectors, slack/unallocated storage space and hundreds of file format types, sort out hard drive content into file type categories, easily find out what websites have been viewed, investigate email archives, and many more.

Just like the tools that we use in every day life, there are computer forensics tools that are designed to perform single tasks while others are multi-purpose offering many features and functionalities. A computer forensics expert is knowledgeable in the latest tools and will be able to easily determine the appropriate tool to use in a certain investigation.

Since the field of computer forensics is relatively young, specific standards have yet to be established when it comes to testing the results of a computer forensics analysis. At present, the standards used in all other forensic sciences are used to determine whether or not test results are valid. Typically, tools and methodologies are reviewed by peers.

For corporations that are concerned with cyber security, one option to detect illegal activities done on work computers is to use computer forensic software solutions. These programs can also copy hard disks and evaluate data. In addition, the results produced through software tools are also documented and can be used in legal proceedings. The license for computer forensics software typically cost about $1000, which is significantly cheaper than hiring a specialist to do the job.

If you are looking for free computer forensics tools, you can find many online such as Windows-specific forensic toolkits; tools that are able to extract data from image files; hexadecimal file/disk/RAM editors; media sterilization tools; tool testing applications and etcetera. There are also tools that you can access through monthly subscriptions or paid membership, which can cost around $60 a year. Just make sure you are joining a legitimate group before making any payments or purchases. Since there are many free resources available online, you might want to try them out first.

The array of computer forensics tools that are available today is continuously growing and developers are making sure that existing applications are constantly updated to make them compatible with the latest tools. Undoubtedly, the increasing number of criminal and civil proceedings that make use of computer forensics methods and tools will drive more development in this emerging field.