0817 - 8542 ISBN 0 642 24102 3 No . 118 What is Forensic Computing ?

Adam Graycar Director Developments in information technology have begun to pose new challenges for policing. Most professions have had to adapt to the digital age, and the police profession must be particularly adaptive, because criminal exploitation of digital technologies necessitates new types of criminal investigation. More and more, information technology is becoming the instrument of criminal activity. Investigating these sophisticated crimes, and assembling the necessary evidence for presentation in a court of law, will become a significant police responsibility. This paper provides an overview of the new law enforcement field of forensic computing. It is an abridged version of a report prepared by the author during his Donald Mackay Churchill Fellowship. Its publication here reflects the Australian Institute of Criminology’s continuing role in informing policy makers and the public about complex criminal activity.