Digital Forensics and its Importance in Investigating Criminal Offences

Abstract

The article defines the main areas of application of digital forensics in the process of detecting and investigating criminal offences. It is emphasised that the essence of digital forensics is scientific and technical. Therefore, in the domestic model of forensic science, it should be considered as an independent branch of criminalistic technique that studies digital traces of criminal offences and develops tools and methods for their investigation. A comprehensive approach to studying the system of tools and methods of digital forensics makes it possible to identify four main areas of its use in the detection and investigation of criminal offences. The first area is digital forensic intelligence, which is a new field of activity for law enforcement agencies and involves the use of specialised tools to search for and analyse information from a large number of sources. This area requires systematic research at the level of forensic theory and the formation of high-quality legal, organisational and methodological foundations. The second area is scientific and technical support for the identification and seizure of digital evidence during procedural actions. It requires the mandatory participation of a specialist in the field of digital forensics and the professional use of its tools and methods. Forensic computer-technical expertise, which is the main area of application of digital forensics in forensic activities, requires further development in the context of improving the classification of objects and developing modern research methods. Another area is technical and forensic support for cybercrime investigations. It involves the use of digital forensics tools and methods to identify and examine digital evidence in specific criminal proceedings, as well as compliance with scientific recommendations on the cybercrime investigation process. All of the above areas are interrelated. However, they differ in terms of the form of application of specialised knowledge, the tasks and methods used to solve them, and the final results.