Computer Forensic Software Company Hacked

Computer Forensics Services Tools Maker Hacked

Guidance Software had to do a forensic investigation on its own systems after a hacker broke in and accessed records, including credit card data, of thousands of customers. . . .

Guidance, one of the leading sellers of software used to investigate computer crimes, sent out letters last week to inform its customers about the breach. Some customers have already reported fraudulent credit card charges. "There have been a handful of cases, but we're only two weeks into this, so I don't know the total size," Colbert said. . . .

Guidance's EnCase software is used by security researchers and law enforcement agencies worldwide. The Pasadena, Calif.-based company notified all its approximately 9,500 customers about the attack and has called in the U.S. Secret Service, which has started an investigation, Colbert said.

Computer Internet Lawyer Tampa

Computer Forensic Experts from FBI Investigate Failure of Dam

FBI investigates Taum Sauk failure

"The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Friday asked for the FBI to help with its investigation of Wednesday's breach in the Taum Sauk dam. Members of the Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control, which is the department's investigative unit, were at the Taum Sauk plant on Friday. They are investigating to determine whether the failure of the dam and the computer-operated equipment was an accident or intentional, said Lt. Tim Hull, spokesman for the Highway Patrol.

[T]he FBI plans to send computer forensic investigators to examine the computerized equipment."

Computer Forensic Services

Improving Growth Managment through Better Procedures, Standards and Judicial Review

Last year, I posted and circulated a suggestion for a set of minimal standards for the conduct and review of quasi-judicial decisions at the local level.

Here's this year's draft.

I've tweaked a few things, including making this part of Chapter 163 instead of Chapter 120 - maybe it'll get better play as a growth management bill.

I've also added a few suggested changes to complement the 2002 legislation which gave landowners/developers standing, over-ruling the Parker case. Biggest tweaks to the substance of Chapter 163: clarify the understanding that the denial of a development order that is consistent with the comprehensive plan is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan - which was the intention but not the reality. I also suggest clarifying that development orders must be consistent only with those elements of the plan that provide clear standards or objective criteria - the general rule in proper delegations, but again difficult to enforce. Finally, I suggest getting rid of the useless administrative challenge to land development regulations and replacing it with a proper de novo action in circuit court.

Please provide comments -- I'll be sending it along to the house GM committee and also to Sen. Mike Bennett.

Computer Forensic Services - Hi-tech brings no easy solutions

"Some of the biggest headaches for fraud investigators and prosecutors stem from modern technology. June Philips of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Brisbane, Australia, said computer technology and software allowed the cheap, large scale production of forged documents.

'The quality of forged items from passports, driver's licenses to electricity bills is astounding. Identity fraud is one of the biggest growth areas,' she said at 12th annual Prosecution Conference yesterday. Ms Philips said large sums of money scammed from gullible investors could be transferred with breathtaking speed to offshore accounts from where they were difficult to recover. "In many cases they do involve the necessity for computer forensic skills and the obtaining of overseas evidence."

Computer Forensic Services

Fiji Times Online

Computer Forensic - Arrest in Minsk Belarus ICE investigation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement "arrest was part of a global ICE investigation that focused on an Internet billing company based in Minsk, Belarus, the news release said. In January 2004, the Belarus company was charged with money laundering, providing credit card billing services for 50 child pornography Web sites worldwide and operating its own child pornography Web sites, the release said. After the enterprise was dismantled, ICE agents focused their investigation on the customers who purchased the child pornography subscriptions, the release said."



Computer Forensic - Arrest in Minsk Belarus ICE investigation

Computer Forensics - Computer holds a clue, this lab will find it

If a computer holds a clue, this lab will find it $4 million investment cracks big cases

By TONY RIZZO
The Kansas City Star

What's the best way to get into a criminal's head? One group of area sleuths knows: Get into their computers.

That's what the men and women assigned to the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory do every day in their high-tech search for evidence of crimes. The partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies was one of the first of its kind in the country. After two years of operation, it can boast of helping crack some of the region's most infamous recent crimes."

Kansas City Star

Computer Forensics - Best Buy 'hacker' loses in court

"Excerpt from appeals court's opinion:



'An FBI computer forensic expert found three of the e-mails and other incriminating documents on the hard drive of Ray's computer. The expert testified the e-mails and documents were created by someone typing on that computer and that someone had logged onto the Internet from that computer using the screen name and password used to send the e-mails. The expert also stated there was no evidence of any type of remote access or hacking found on Ray's computer. In addition, the evidence showed Ray had the knowledge and ability to process the monetary transactions he demanded in the extortion e-mails. . . .



The appeals court rejected his arguments and upheld an 18-month prison sentence and restitution to Best Buy of $87,398. Ray also is sentenced to a three-year supervised release, which includes no possession of any "electronic device with access to any online computer service" without explicit permission."



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