Don't let hard disk tempered in cyber crime

Integrity of data collected from the scene of cyber crime is the spine of investigation which should not be tempered with at any cost to crack the case shortly and fairly

This was the vital lesson Omveer Singh, Additional Director General and Scientist E, Computer Emergency and Response Team, India imparted to young police officials from 20 states during National Cyber Crime Training Programme at Police Radio Training School on Monday.

Director, PRTS, Varun Kapoor told dna that the officials were given practical training about cyber crime scene management. The additional director Singh taught them how to investigate as soon as any cyber crime is  reported anywhere.

The concept of hash-value plays vital role during investigation of cyber crime. This means recovery of evidence from the scene of crime, mainly hard disc of the computer, so that the integrity of data is not  contaminated or tempered with. Any tempering may give benefit of doubt to the suspect or accused in the court, Kapoor averred.

Hash-value of any computer may be tracked per second by the investigator through a software. It can  be immediately known whether the content found in the hard disc was changed or tempered with after the cyber crime was reported, he claimed.

Concept of maintaining hash value is helpful for investigator as counsel for accused in cyber crime may not challenge it in the court, especially in planned crimes like terrorism, financial fraud, cold blooded murders, robberies and economic offences.

This is for the first time that a comprehensive training of cyber crimes investigation for officials from sub inspector to DSP rank from across the country is imparted being by experts with practical knowledge in the well equipped laboratory here, the director claimed.