Digital Forensics in the Criminal Justice System

A wide array of challenges has emerged for digital forensic practitioners in recent years, including most especially the significant ethical dilemmas that are inherent to the field. In addition, innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things and drones as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning have also created numerous challenges and opportunities for advancement of the field by digital forensics. To identify potential solutions, the purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature concerning these issues, followed by a summary of the findings in the conclusion.

Describe two ethical dilemmas that may be encountered by a digital forensic practitioner and the steps they should take to ensure their integrity isnt called into question

Protect unrelated sensitive information: During an era of high-profile whistleblowing, it is clear that digital forensic practitioners are in a good position to exploit personal or otherwise confidential information such as financial data or personal conversations during the course of their analyses which is outside the scope of the investigation (Nieto et al., 2018). Consequently, in order to protect their integrity, it is essential for practitioners to ensure that all irrelevant sensitive information is held in strict confidentiality and any questions concerning appropriate courses of action should be directed to supervisors when practitioners are in doubt as to its relevance to the case (Neito et al., 2018).

Practitioner objectivity and bias: Digital forensic practitioners have a fundamental responsibility to provide accurate and unbiased reports, but they may face ethical dilemmas due to conflicting evidence or incomplete information (Renaud et al., 2021). In this regard, Jaju (2023) emphasizes that, While digital forensics can be a valuable tool for law enforcement and organizations, it also raises important ethical questions related to invasion of privacy, bias and discrimination, and accuracy and reliability (p. 3). It is reasonable to suggest that the temptation to cherry-pick data or skew the results of forensics analyses in one direction or another is potentially strong, particularly in busy departments where criminal justice authorities are eager to pursue a case. Therefore, in order to avoid even the appearance of such bias, practitioners must ensure that they carefully and thoroughly document all of the findings that emerge during the investigative process in a transparent fashion, and to communicate any potential biases in their findings to relevant authorities (Renaud et al., 2021).

Research and describe three Internet of Things (IoT) devices. What are their functions and what problems are they designed to solve for the user?

Three IoT devices, their functions and the problems they are designed to solve for the user include 1) smart watches which leverage technology to provide users with virtually infinite functions that collect physical fitness data and other personalized health-related...…connections to the cloud (Guttman, 2022). This data includes thermal imaging as well as highly sensitive cameras that can detect information specific to a given investigation.

Research new and developing technologies to determine what devices, software, or capabilities are emerging. Select two. Describe this new technology, how it can be used by criminal or terrorist networks, and how authorities can combat the threat.

Perhaps the most significant innovations in recent years haves been in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms which can be exploited by criminal and terrorist networks to conduct more sophisticated and cost-effective cyberattacks (Sharikov, 2018). For example, AI-powered techniques can be used to identify and exploit network vulnerabilities, defeat security protocols or launch targeted attacks (. Because machine learning algorithms become smarter over time, combating this emerging threat represents a truly daunting enterprise that demands ongoing vigilance and informed countermeasures (Dang et al., 2023).

Conclusion

The research showed that digital forensic practitioners face ethical dilemmas regarding the protection of unrelated sensitive information and maintaining objectivity and bias-free reporting. To ensure their integrity, practitioners must strictly uphold confidentiality and seek guidance when uncertain about the relevance of information. In addition, the research also showed that IoT devices like smart watches, smart home security systems, and smart refrigerators generate valuable data for investigations, such as fitness and health data, location data, surveillance footage, access logs, and alarm triggers. Likewise, drones were shown to store data in onboard…