Part One: Choose one Element of a successful investigation, one Method of investigation, and one Phase of an investigation to thoroughly

explain and discuss. You are to explain your Element, Method, and Phase in separate Part One paragraphs. Element Management Commitment, I believe is the most essential element for successful investigations as management has the final say in all investigation matters; the assign cases, personnel, and provide the resources such as equipment, time, facility, pay. Without managements commitment, it shows managements lack of interest or a sincere desire to gather all the facts and evidence to build a solid case. Also, in the absence of managements commitment, both the investigators and management may be reluctant to the extra yard with regard to collecting evidence or discovering the facts, motives and accomplices. This can lead to cutting corners, missing evidence or facts and wrong assumptions or outcomes, where the investigator performs sloppy or inaccurate work. This type of behavior is unacceptable to both the customer who has hired the organization to perform an accurate, honest and thorough investigation on their behalf, and the employer. Managements commitment means they believe in the investigators skills, knowledge, expertise, conduct and methods, with managements commitment to the investigator, they (the investigator) are allowed a little more latitude when it comes to employing unorthodox methods or approaches to getting accurate finds. Method Forensic Analysis, I believe is the most essential element for successful investigations as this type of analysis employs science or scientific methods to achieve accurate results. While undercover work, conducting interviews, research, and surveillance all have their niches or focuses, its forensic analysis that provides the glue to help solidify the case. Forensic analysis is what makes the case; finger printing analysis, document examinations, chemical and substance analysis or bodily fluid analysis. All of these types of an analysis determine either yes or no; either there is a presence or there is not, there really is no middle ground. Forensic analysis on computers is a growing trend as more and more crimes are perpetrated utilizing this medium than ever before, as computers play a bigger part in our everyday lives; both personally and professionally. Forensic analysis on computers has yield tons of evidence with regard to child pornography rings and stings. The evidence forensic analysis produces can provide investigators with not only incriminating evidence against the suspect(s) but with other potential leads and potential suspects. Phase Verification and Analysis, I believe is the most essential element for successful investigations as it provides an in-depth analysis that can lead to other avenues such as accomplices or others also involved in the crime. While employers have the ability to terminate the employment of offenders without cause, notice or justification it may be a little fooling for an organization to employ this method prior to hearing or gathering all of the evidence or conducting interviews. The employer may determine guilt and therefore fire the employee but not realize that more individuals are involved, employing the verification and analysis phase

could potentially expose this element. Interviews may yield more information such as motives, intentions, accomplices or other factors or evidence. Verifying allows investigators to draw a more defined or detailed picture of what actually occurred.

Part Two: Chapter 2 of our course text defines the investigator in terms of characteristics (pages 58 62 under II. The Role of the Fact Finder (A): The Fact-Finder Defined). Rank these six characteristics from what YOU consider the most important to least important. Explain why you ranked one characteristic above or below another. 1. Ethical I believe this characteristic is the most important because without it, all other characteristics can be called into question; impartiality, deliberation, skill, experience and fairness all ride on being ethical. The ethical investigator knows what is expected of him or her and act accordingly; without false pretense and with true integrity. The ethical investigator always acts in the realm of truth; if evidence reveals a suspects innocents they (the investigator) present the facts quickly, without reservations. If evidence substantiates a suspects involvement it is also present quickly, without reservations. The ethical investigator also does not employ deceptive practices. 2. Impartial - I believe this characteristic is the next most important because without it the investigator could possibly give the appearance of prejudice or bias in their investigation. This negative appearance could potentially cast a shadow of doubt or uncertainty on the investigators other characteristics such as their ethics, skill, experience and fairness. The impartial investigator lets the facts and evidence speak for itself; they do not attempt or try to skew evidence to fit a predetermined cause or suspect. 3. Deliberate - I believe this characteristic is the next most important because without it the investigator could possibly appear to look incompetent or lazy. The deliberate investigator moves with purpose and reason, they move within a method and function with specific intentions. They also do not waste time or resources and are aware of their inadequacy and look for means of rectifying them with the objective always in mind. 4. Skill - I believe this characteristic is the next most important because without it the investigator could possibly appear to look incompetent or incapable of being a sound investigator. While skill is very important in the field of investigation, without acting in an ethical, impartial and deliberate manner, the investigators skills can be called into question. Does the investigator possess the ethical, impartial and deliberate skills or does their skill come from forcing or twisting facts and/or evidence to meet their case? Just because an investigator has skills doesnt mean they are not employed in nefarious ways to come to their own conclusion. 5. Experience - I believe this characteristic is the next most important because without it the investigator may find themselves in unfamiliar waters, unaware of how to implement their skillsets. While commonly skill and experience go hand in hand, like skill,

experience can be finite or pigeonholed. Experience in one field does not automatically make one experienced in all fields, such as one with experienced in computer forensics does not mean they have experience substance abuse. Experience is the action of applying skills to set of conditions, circumstances and/or parameters and as these experiences occur more often, the experienced investigator know what skillset they will have to employ to achieve the correct results. The experienced investigator also knows his or her limitation. 6. Fair - I believe this characteristic is the next most important because if the ethical, impartial, deliberate, skilled and experienced investigator is doing their job as they are supposed to, then being fair will automatically follow. Being fair with everyone, to include suspects, employers, co-workers and customers, hopefully allows for the investigator to live a less stressed life with a clearer conscious at the end of the day. Part Three: Choose one of the following options to answer as your Part Three. First repeat the chosen option prior to answering. Option Two: Identify and thoroughly describe one private sector investigative trend. This option may be repeated with a previously unreported trend. Computer forensics is one private sector investigative trend that is happening with more frequency due to the proliferation of computers in our daily lives, computers are even more rampant in the business world as most activities and processes are performed by computers. With the plethora computers available to most people, both in their private and professional lives, computers have become access points for nefarious activities. Whether its identify theft, financial fraud, software piracy or child pornography, the computer, coupled with the internet, makes all of these crimes easier and more pronounced. Organizations and corporations computers and servers house their critical information; data, designs, plans, proprietary information/data and customer data, which could potentially cripple them if this data was to be exposed or fell into the wrong hands of say its competitors. A disgruntled employee with access to an organizations crucial data has the ability to bring that organization to its knees by erasing it, copying it or selling it. Organizations and corporations spend small fortunes on security to make sure their crucial information stays where it is; in house. So when an organization finds that a disgruntled employee or a hacker has infiltrated their security parameter with perverse intentions, they immediately attempt to determine if the bad actor was successful in their dastardly deeds and what and how much data was lost. To accurately determine these answers organizations employ computer forensic experts to find them. Computer forensic experts can determine how the incident happened, when the incident

occurred, what was taken, copied, modified or erased, what credentials were used, was it done within the organization or did the perpetrator(s) remote in and how long the act took. Once an organization is armed with this data, it next has to determine what will be done with it along with determining how to make sure it doesnt happen again. Computer forensic experts provide a unique and unparalleled service to organizations and businesses, unfortunately these experts show up after an incident has happened not prior, pointing out weakness or vulnerabilities to the organizations or businesses.