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Post Date: Apr 30, 2008
Category: Computers
Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor

Doesn't sound familiar? I don't blame you, Microsoft only dropped some details to the public within the last week.

Basically, the aim of it is to use a USB thumb stick to gather evidence from computers that're suspected of being used in crimes, rather than the current method of cloning the drive after powering down the machine and moving it to a forensics lab.

What gets me is the fact that it can, apparently, override any security feature currently used by Windows.

While I don't disagree with the methodology and thought process behind it, catching criminals is worth it in my opinion, and they're increasingly hitting the web, as I'm sure some (If not all) of you are aware.

My problem is the fact that they're distributing this to the police, and I don't mean the forensics departments, I mean the guys on the front line, who're probably already under enough stress to meet quotas, targets, whatever you want to call them.

What's to stop these things accidentally making their way out of the police force? I know there's very little difference between a forensics team member and a police officer, they're both capable of making mistakes. Forensics, though, are likely to have a much stricter control of things like this, where as your run of the mill police officer (No disrespect intended, anyone willing to do that job deserves all the respect you can give them) might just dump it on, or in, his desk, car, where ever he happens to be stopping for a while.

I know good hackers are not likely to have issues with Windows security features, but why the hell would anyone (Especially Microsoft) want to make their job easier?

The actual device, though, is quite clever, that has to be said.

Full article available here: Seattle Times
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      ӝspot

      Chief Instigator

      Daaaaammn!
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      04.30.08 2:14 pm
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        ӝspot

        Chief Instigator

        I wonder how they plan on getting away with this one. Because if it is as bad as it sounds, this could be really hectic for them.
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        05.02.08 2:01 pm
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            ӝNirach

            A malibu and coke for you, a G&T for me

            That's the thing, they're already out. They've been floating around for a few months now, so in theory, they've already got away with it.
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            05.02.08 2:11 pm
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