Cyber crime and challenges for crime investigation in the information era

The rapid development of computer technology and the integration of computer and communication technology have made significant changes to human information activities. Firstly, the efficient and effective power of information processing has made computer the most important tool for data processing. As a result, more and more data are processed and stored in computer systems. Secondly, the transcend nature of the Internet has made it one of the major channels for human communication. Consequently, our society is in a state of transformation toward a “virtual society,” where people’s daily activities, such as shopping, getting services, and especially sharing information, can be accomplished without face-to-face contact with others. Nowadays, computers and computer networks are ubiquitous and used in every facet of modern society. Although information technology has enabled global businesses to flourish, it also becomes one of the major enablers for unscrupulous individuals to commit crime and escape apprehensions by law enforcement agencies. It is often stated that cyber crime investigation & forensics is the largest challenge for law enforcement agencies in this 21st century. This presentation will address the issues current faced by law enforcement agencies and attempt to look ahead in order to discern the research directions for cyber crime investigation and computer forensics.