What is digital forensics?

To say that everything is online now, even crime is no exaggeration. When a crime occurs either on the internet or via computer, also known as cybercrime, law enforcement is likely to get involved. And just as law enforcement agents work to accumulate evidence such as witness statements, fingerprints, and security footage in the aftermath of a real-world crime, digital investigators gather digital evidence in the aftermath of cybercrime.

Digital Forensics is the branch of forensic science dedicated to the gathering, cataloging, and preservation of evidence related to cybercrime—instances in which a computer or digital device is used to actually commit a crime (e.g., buying or selling drugs online) or to facilitate otherwise separate offline criminal activity (e.g., messaging someone via smartphone for a meetup to buy drugs).