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New US Computer Forensic Institute

Posted by kdawson on from the bits-of-evidence dept.

Quincy writes "The DHS and Secret Service are setting up a new computer forensic institute in Alabama. Set to open in mid-2008, the new National Computer Forensic Institute will be able to train over 900 law enforcement officers per year. 'It will initially be staffed by 18 Secret Service agents and will feature classrooms, a forensic laboratory, an evidence vault, and server rooms. Courses will be offered in the investigation of electronic crimes, network intrusion investigation, and computer forensics... [T]he Secret Service says that it will help to bring judges and prosecutors up to speed as well.'" Maybe over time we'll see fewer botches of justice like those in the news recently.

5 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. More of the same by HomelessInLaJolla · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Secret Service has tried to produce aids like their "Best practices for seizing electronic evidence", and the National Institute of Justice has published its guide to "Digital Evidence in the Courtroom", but the need for more advanced training has been obvious in numerous recent cases This will consist mostly of practicing the correct SOP for the using the forklift to cart out every single piece of computer equipment on the site. I sincerely doubt that they'll be teaching any discretionary tactics or give up their current practice of confiscating everything in sight.
    --
    the NPG electrode was replaced with carbon blac
  2. Re:I wonder. by lawpoop · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My hope is that more computer science majors go into law enforcement.

    --
    Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
    -- Pablo Picasso
  3. They need two separate education tracks by MikeRT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Police investigators need much more than the theory, they need indepth coverage of the practices. Prosecutors and judges need more of the theory, the pros and cons, etc. A prosecutor doesn't need to know how to hunt down a trojan horse, but should be able to look at a police report and for the most part completely grok the methods the police used as a knowledgeable reader. Same with the judge.

  4. The other side by Target+Drone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Secret Service says that it will help to bring judges and prosecutors up to speed as well.'"

    What about defense attorneys?

    1. Re:The other side by StewedSquirrel · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Damn good point.

      But since the prosecutorial state is interested in prosecuting and sentencing as many people as possible for as long as possible, they have no incentive to actually DEFEND people... I guarantee the tone of these classes is "how to get more convictions".... where it should be "how to better determine the truth".

      "How can we make an airtight case against the 15 year old who made a porno of his girlfriend?"

      mmmmhmmm

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.