Strangers in a Strange Land: One Local Cop's Perspective on Digital Forensics

Abstract: The rapidly shifting landscape of digital media over the past two decades has brought a revolutionary change in the availability of information (both relevant and irrelevant) to law enforcement for investigative and intelligence purposes. Meanwhile, the digital cultural divide and lagging resources have resulted in a lack of funding for and attention to proper training and education for forensic examiners and investigators, for law enforcement supervisors at all levels, for prosecution and defense attorneys, and for judges and juries who directly interact with this new evidence. The result is common misconceptions and misunderstandings about the implications of digital evidence and friction over the proper scope of its collection and use. Additionally, cultural differences within the policing and software development communities can make it hard for law enforcement to describe software needs and for developers to create realistic solutions. In this inherently complex environment, how do we grok a better way forward?

Bio: Detective Cindy Murphy works for the police department of Madison, Wisconsin and has been a Law Enforcement Officer since 1985. She is a certified forensic examiner, and has been involved in computer forensics since 1999. She earned her MSc in Forensic Computing and Cyber Crime Investigation through University College, Dublin in 2011. She has directly participated in the examination of many hundreds of hard drives, cell phones, and other items of digital evidence pursuant to criminal investigations including homicides, missing persons, computer intrusions, sexual assaults, child pornography, financial crimes, and various other crimes. She has testified as a computer forensics expert in state and federal court on numerous occasions, using her knowledge and skills to assist in the successful investigation and prosecution of criminal cases involving digital evidence. She is also a part time digital forensics instructor at Madison College, and a mobile device forensics instructor for the SANS Institute. Cindy believes in constantly pushing the boundaries of what we believe is possible in order to achieve what we once believed was impossible, and that in general persistence matters at least as much as brilliance.